To Save a Prince
by BeautyOfFire
Summary: He was angry, so very angry, all the time. He hurt, if not killed, hundreds of innocent people while I watched. Others saw no mercy in his eyes. But with me, there was more. Warmth in his eyes, a softer touch... A smile meant only for me. I had always considered myself to be the type of person who had sympathy for the serial killer, not that I had ever thought it was so true...
1. Chapter 1

**_All recgonisable characters and plots do not belong to me, I make no money out of this no matter how much I want to, blah blah blah. We all know the drill. This will be my one and only disclaimer._**

**_This is my first (published) fanfiction, so all reviews will be more than welcome! Thank you very much for reading loves!_**

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I took a sip of my wine and looked around at all the stuffy old men with their gold digger wives, political leaders, businessmen, and some, if not most, caught up in the first category. I was at another boring art show in Germany. The "party" was paused to center our attention on one man making a speech, hell if I knew who. I was given a break from having to make idle chit-chat with the rest of the guests and I was savoring that precious time.

My eyes found their way up the stairs and fell on a man with an extremely strange walking stick-golden and curved upwards to cradle a glowing blue stone. He was twirling it, throwing, and catching it while he walked. I was so captivated by the stick that I didn't even look at the man as he descended a whole flight of golden stairs, and I could only tell it was a man because only men carried walking stick to these functions (and as far as I knew other than the exception of medical reasons, everywhere else) and he was wearing pants (from what I could see with my concentration on his walking stick) while all of the women were in black floor length dresses... As always with the exception of me in a _short_ black dress. Realizing that I was staring, I immediately looked up to the man's face which was smirking down with almost black eyes in such a way that sent chills down my back and made my hair stand on end. He was looking at me-well, no. That would be too arrogant of me to presume. No, he was looking in my general direction, down at the west side of the ballroom.

I only got a glimpse of the chilling man before he reached the end of the stairs and crushed one of my security guards' skulls with the end of his walking stick, all the while staring at the crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone was running, pushing towards the lavish entrance while the walking-stick-man pulled the man who was making a speech, whose name I could still not remember in the panic surrounding me. While everyone was terrified, I was calm. I couldn't even _begin_ to be terrified. Why, I didn't know. I knew it wasn't comfort from my guards rushing around me, no. I found it gave more attention away. But I was fine, serene even. The moment was paused in time and I could wish it to go on forever.

"Move!" One of my guards pushed me from behind and started to run, forcing me to too. I would have to remember his disrespect to yell at him for later.

Two of my other guards that were able to catch up with me were lost in the crowd by the time we got outside. Left with two and the crowd still surging forward, we ran with the flow, faster._  
_

I looked over my shoulder as I ran when I realized that walking-stick-man was coming for us. He was walking casually, or at least it appeared so, but somehow keeping up wit us. His clothes, whatever they were, were fading into some kind of armor of gold and green with black leather and a golden helmet with huge horns curling from the top. He was smirking still, watching us scatter like ants.

We got down to the street and made it to about the middle of the crowd when I heard a crashing sound. Everyone slowed down, if not stopped, to look behind them to see a car flipped over and running on its front bumper. Whoever was in there was most certainly dead from the blood covering the windows. _This is why we wear seatbelts, people. For crazy staff men._

Our eyes went from the car to the attacker almost at the same time. Everyone began to try to run again. But we couldn't; a bright blue light surrounded us from the stone in the staff and a couple more men identical to the original attacker appeared in the corners. Then, who I guessed to be the real one since the other ones were flickering, the man started to talk.

"Kneel before me." He commanded. His voice was loud, but he wasn't yelling… Merely projecting, I guess. His voice clear, enunciating each word with an accent I had never encountered before, and I have encountered most, as saying all would make me sound like a braggart. No one kneeled but ran around screaming or tried to hide. I stayed rooted in my spot staring at him as best I could from the flurry of people, directly in front of me but a car's length away. His eyes scanned us with a perfectly chiseled stony face.

Once the crowd calmed down, figuring out they could not escape, he stepped forward a step and said, "I. Said. KNEEL." The last word ripping out of his throat harshly, his dark eyes brightening with rage.

They were frightened into silence, everyone slowly kneeling. Some having to be forced down to their knees by others, myself being one of them. My guard was the one to push me to the ground. I finally felt some sort of emotion from this action, but it was rage at being forced to kneel and the rage was directed _not _at the attacker but at my guard. I tried to say something or to stand, but was distracted by the sound of staff man's voice.

"Is not this simpler?" He started to walk slowly through the crowd in my general direction with his arms spread wide as if embracing us all. "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power." His voice was energized and smooth, as if a child talking about a subject they so loved. He was slowly inching closer to me. "Your identity… You were made to be ruled."

I was so sure he wasn't coming for me, just trying to keep attention on himself, to make a pretty speech, but as he got to two feet in front of me, he put the tip of his staff under my chin and lifted my head. My head was already held up, I refused to look down at the ground like the pathetic people around me acting as if what he said was true. My eyes were drawn up to look at him, but he merely pulled my head up to look at me square in the face, into my eyes. I think… I think he noticed. That I wasn't afraid. A ghost of confusion crossed his eyes but he recovered and another look replaced it just as quickly as the confusion came and left. He half kneeled down to me for only a moment, brushing hair off of my face that fell from my high black bun to behind my ear, his hand traveling down to my neck to the chain that hung there and the amulet.

It was the Eye of Horus. Antique and gold, it was two American quarters sized wide, the long necklace that came down to just below my breasts. He picked up the Eye in his hand without taking his eyes from mine and flicked them down to study it for a moment and dropped it heavily looking back at me. He rose to his feet not taking his eyes away from mine until he started to walk again a moment later.

"In the end, you will always kneel." His soft voice caressed me. His words were harsh and frightening, but his voice one you would use for a scared animal... And not one you would want to hurt. This was not the voice of a crazy man. He was standing right behind me, separating me from my guard, who I then realized that neither he nor the one in front of me tried to protect me. Which was their _job_. _What a good freaking job. You'll all be fired by morning._

There was a small flurry of excitement caused by an elderly man standing and speaking to the staff-man. Staff-man said something about making an example of him, but I wasn't able to absorb what was happening. He was so close… He just touched me with the staff… Is he going to kill me? Hit me like he did the other men? _Or is he one of those guys with the philosophy of never hit a girl? Ha. Sick control freaks have no philosophies about who not to step on on their way to the top. And he seems like a control freak. _He was going to kill the older man and me. _This is it. _But I _still _wasn't scared. Just… Intrigued.

There was a strange sound and then a bang and staff man flying over my kneeling form in front of me, landing on his feet with one hand on the ground now kneeling like the rest of us. Another deep voice said something to staff-man and staff-man recognized the owner of the voice behind me.

"The solider," he laughed getting to his feet. "The man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time." It sounded like an arrogant movie line.

Another whoosh came behind me and I tuned to see a plane that looked a bit like a miniature Thunderbird materialize above and a bit behind us, stationary. A large gun came from the bottom pointed at us. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down.

_Oh so staff-man has a name._

They started to fight, the "soldier" and "Loki". I caught a glimpse of a tight blue suit before I was whisked off, pulled by my elbows through the crowd running to a big, black sleek car. A very classy car.

I realized too late that the hands were too forceful even for my own men and looking up saw that they weren't mine as I had guessed. But in the dark I wasn't able to identify them at all.

I was being shoved into the car when everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you so much to perilxxx and SaphireDreamer26 for two lovely reviews that made me happier than messages on Tumblr. And thanks to anyone else who has read it when so little has been done so far. I hope this chapter will do a little more for you all and the next will bring more of the whole plot in. Oohh but I'm getting a little far ahead of myself!**_

_**I've been scrambling to try and pull this out of my head so I could share it with you guys to see what you think, so there may be some errors in, um, anything but I hope you'll forgive me. Please?**_

_**Well, here we go guys. The next chapter. I hope you enjoy! xx**_

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I woke up in complete darkness with a throbbing head and a growing stomach. I wiggle a little, wanting to go back to sleep to ease the pain of my head, but suddenly I stiffen-this doesn't smell like my room… It smells like… Like some pine cologne. No, this is not my bed.

The events of the previous night come flooding back to me in such a rush I squeezed my eyes as if trying to block them out. _Oh gods, what the hell have you gotten yourself into this time?_

I sat up trying to scan the room for the tiniest speck of light but there was none, and no noise either. I reach for where my cellphone _would _be if I was home as pure instinct to check the time and instead find a bedside table with what felt like paper, a book, what I thought were a candle, a few metal things, and more of which I couldn't even identify their material. Feeling the bed and bouncing on it a bit, I determined that it was huge and perfectly firm but fluffy all at the same time. It had to be a king sized bed at the very least. Though, of course, none of those observations helped me_. Where in the hell am I?_

A door somewhere to my left creaked and I dove back into the bed, trying to feign sleep just in case this is the kind of situation that I thought. _Oh please let me be overreacting oh please let me be overreacting, just like usual. I so want to laugh about this later._

Light flooded into the room casting a shadow on a wall of a tall, lean figure holding the door, a shorter, well built (from what I could tell) guard, and my silhouette on the bed with my unruly, curly hair tossed in such a way that it looked like an afro. _Awesome. Tangles.. This is why-WAIT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT YOUR HAIR AT A TIME LIKE THIS? MY GODS GIRL-WAIT THEY'RE TALKING! Information time information time!_

"-good. Lets go as scheduled."

"Yes sir." A sleepy, almost robotic voice replied.

"And you're sure she has been sleeping this whole time?" _Okay I really don't like the sound of this. _The taller head turns to look down at the shorter man. Wait… Oh shit! He has a staff. Staff-man Loki abducted me. _Well no shit Sherlock who else in the area was violent? Did you think Santa Claus took you to his workshop?_

"Yes sir, but she has been moving around in her sleep though, sir. But I saw no harm in her tossing and turning."

"Very well. I can take it from here. Go... Do something else. Help the others."

There was a pause between them and a confused robotic voice (_who knew that was even possible?_) replied, "Yes sir."

"No one shall come unless I permit them to. Under no circumstances, understood?"

"As you wish, sir."

_I'm going to be alone with crazy-psycho-skull-crusher-staff-man-Loki? ABORT MISSION ABORT MISSION!_

The door closed and I was surrounded by darkness again. The only thing to be heard was the sound of my deep, steady breathing and the click of Loki's heals slowly coming toward me. I felt a dip in the mattress and an arm lined itself against my back with a long, spindly hand softly gripping my shoulder.

"I know you're not asleep." He whispered with his warm breath in my ear and I instantly stop my fake heavy breathing. Long hair (well, for some men) tickled my cheek from where I guess his head is leaning over mine. A little huf of air is let out and I can almost hear the amusement in it.

"Uncomfortable? Ah, well maybe a little light would make you feel better." A candle flickered to life behind me with a snap. "Much better."

I didn't move a muscle, just stared at staff-man-I mean Loki's shadow for any sudden movements.

"What's wrong? Are you still uncomfortable? Hmph. This cannot be helped for the time being, I suppose. Look at me." He commanded and a finger from his other hand comes up and hooks on my face, softly turning it towards him. I don't fight him but instead fight to keep my eves devoid of all emotion-namely my fear.

He smiled down at me, but it looked like a smirk as if he forgot how to smile. His eyes were soft and held a surprising amount of warmth for someone who cracked skulls open for fun and played god. _God of mischief. Hm… Is killing mischievous? I always considered it a more evil act, but I think this now deserves some re-evaluation._

Loki stared at me for a moment and frowned, a little v in-between his eyebrows again and his lower lip poked out. He almost looked like a child trying to figure out why the sky was blue.

He seemed to resolve whatever issue was going on in his head and it all washed away from his face. He stood never, taking his eyes off of me. "Get up now love."

_Love? _Love? _You kidnap me and you call me _love_? _No. _This is not how this is going to work._ "No."

He looked truly stunned, the mask fading further and further away. "No?"

"No. Did I stutter or do you have a hearing problem?" My voice rang out through the small room, powerful and commanding. I had never appreciated my control over myself more. I was _not _going to be one to give in and cry. I would _not_ give him the satisfaction.

"Neither." We glared at each other for what could have been minutes or hours, I'll never know. In a flash, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me up and out of the bed, so quickly and suddenly I didn't even think to fight. My hair was surely in a long frizzled mess and my skirt was riding up almost over my rear. I quickly adjusted my dress with a red face, silently cursing the lack of fabric and the amusement in his eyes.

"Wh-wh-what did you do that for?" I sputtered, smoothing out wrinkles with my hands, trying to look everywhere but at him. _So much for your fucking control, doll-face._

"I told you to come and you refused." He answered simply. "And I would follow my commands if I were you, or else I will be forced to carry you, _again_, and what an unpleasant experience that was." He rubbed his shoulder with a look on his face as if lost in a memory. _OH NO he did _NOT_._

"I am not that heavy!" I cried out indignantly.

A smirk so big it could be a grin broke out on his face. "I never said you were love. Now _come_."

_What a bastard. _He pulled the door open with a flourish and walked through, and I guessed I had no choice but to follow. He walked at a brisk pace with his heals clicking all the way down, his shoulders thrown back in perfect posture and his head held high. I could appreciate that myself as posture was beaten into me as it probably was for him to do it so unconsciously, as it seemed. He was wearing the clothes he did from the night before, or however long ago it was. I never had a good mind in the morning. His cape flew out behind him and I had to walk a couple of feet behind him to avoid being hit by it or tripping over it. When we finally got to where he was apparently heading he skidded to a stop and pulled open another door with a flourish like he did before, but held it out for me like a true gentleman with his hand ushering me in. I made a move to go in out of pure instinct, but then stopped and glared at him.

"No thank you. You go in first."

He got the little V between his eyebrows again. "Why?"

"I'm sorry," I spat out sarcastically, "but I don't make it a habit to turn my back on someone who _kidnapped _me. If you're going to stick a knife in my back, do it in front of me so that I know its coming."

His eyes were warm and he almost smiled. "I know these are bad circumstances, but I have no intention to harm you or let any harm come to you." A shadow passed over his face and he stared at me as if I had done something, but he smoothed his face yet again and continued, "I will make any promise or swear you wish me to to ease your mind."

"Nothing is going to ease my mind."

"Well that's _your_ problem then, is it not?" He snapped at me, but oh so eloquently, pronouncing every syllable in his English-like accent. "Now would you just go in? _Please?_" He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. For some reason, I immediately felt sorry and walked in.

The most _amazing _smell hit me. Inside was a long table surrounded by chairs and on it was a feast of breakfast food. Eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, you name it, it was there. It was all piled high and steaming, fresh from the kitchen.

"I thought you might be hungry… After what I put you through…" He muttered, the last sentence a whisper. I whipped my head around to stare at him, Loki staring at his feet with his hands behind his back, the perfect picture of a guilty child.

"What?" He snapped, his eyes flying to mine and his face turning… _Red. How curious._

"Nothing." I muttered back. _You don't like me looking at you, love? Oh dear goodness I'm referring to him like I do children. Or the way he's referring to me, depending on how you look at it. This is not good._

"Do you want any food or not?"

"Yes, I would, thank you. It looks delicious." I replied without thinking. His face instantly brightened, his eyes widening and his lips parting into a smile before he shut them tight. He didn't bother to put on any more of a mask.

He nodded his head towards the food, turning his eyes from mine and his face going a bright shade of pink and said, "Well, go ahead then."

I walked to the table, grabbing a plate and starting to fill it up. Loki seemed to find himself again and muttered some apology for not helping me with my chair, which I dismissed with a wave of my hand. We ate in silence, stealing looks at one another and turning red when caught, which was often. His hand avoided mine and we didn't touch at all. My thoughts were consumed him, analyzing his every move from waking me to now. They lingered on the smooth sound of his voice and gentle touch. But the image of him hitting a man with the staff thing came to mind over and over which dashed all of those kinder thoughts.

When I was finished, he stopped eating even though he still had half a plate and stood, held out his hand to me and put the other on the back of my chair. "Come. We have much to talk about."

I let him help me, softly smiling at how gentlemanly it was. _The gentleman killer. Hmph. _"Oh so you're going to explain yourself then, hm?" Oh I was dying inside not knowing what the hell was going on. I so hate not being in control of every little situation. _I wonder if they've realized I'm gone. Have I made national news yet? Well I know I will. And then I'll get out of here._

I realized how little I had thought of escaping. I was somehow not concerned in the least about being kidnapped. Well he did put me in a big, comfy bed and give me a damn breakfast…

_No! Kidnapping is kidnapping. No mater if he promises not to hurt you or not, give you food or a country. It doesn't matter. Shouldn't animal instinct be kicking in right about now?_

"Yes, I have much to explain, don't I?" He mused, his eyes twinkling as he looked at me. I went weak at the knees.

_Oh for fucks sake not _now_! You're freaking kidnapped! No gets attracted in these situations, only scheming happens. Don't think about his pretty eyes. Or sort-of smile. Or flush. Or hair. Or those soft, gentle hands. Oh…_

I gripped his hand tighter trying not to fall and his other hand flew to my waist holding me up. His face broke out into the first true smile I'd seen and laughed. "Don't tell me I need to carry you?"

"No! No, no. I'm fine. I'm fine! And I'm _not _heavy!" I pulled my hand out of his grasp and stared at the door, trying to avoid looking at him. _Oh why now? This is not happening._ _This is not happening._

I pushed past him and opened the door before he could grab it, knowing it would bother any gentleman.

I heard him grumble behind me while I made my way back to the room I was in, Loki squeezing past me to lead me back even though I memorized the way myself; I'd left my Louboutin heals in there and there was _no_ way I was leaving without them, so I _have _to know the way.

There was a guard still standing at my door… With a huge machine gun. _How comforting. _I stared at the gun, wondering why the hell he has me here. _Why the hell would I need guarding with a _gun_? And such a huge one at that. All I could use for weapons would be my heals, and like they would do me much good…_

The guard stepped aside to let Loki open the door and he ushered me in, closing the door in behind us. I now noticed two lounge chairs and a small table across from the door. The bed was back in the right corner with a bedside table next to it. It was a king sized bed like I had originally thought. _But still its pretty big… Wait why do I have such nice living quarters? Every story of kidnapping I've heard had the kidnaped in some dirty, smelly room._

Then it hit me like a train, why he kidnapped me. Oh I was so stupid. I whirled around to yell at my kidnapper. "Ransom! That's why you took me! Ransom! Well the joke is on you, dear one. No one fucking cares about me!" I was so gleeful it was disgusting.

With a satisfied sigh I fell back onto the bed with my arms spread wide. _Hm I'm in the mocha and a chocolate croissant mood. Maybe I can get Charlotte to get me some while I'm on my way home._

"Um…" Loki murmured, not sounding unintelligent in the least like I would have. _Curse him. _"I am sorry, but I haven't a clue what you are talking about, love."

There it is again. _Love_. _Why does he keep calling me 'love'?_

I laugh out exasperated. "Ransom, kidnapping one and bargaining for their release for money, usually a large amount. And as I said, something that won't work."

"I know what _ransom _means." He sounded slightly offended. "I do not understand why you would think its for ransom."

"Then why the _hell _would you want to kidnap me? You do know Stark is the man to snag if you want warheads or something dangerous. Hell, he's even more attractive if you're trying to go there, which I doubt. But if you're going for the WMD's he'd probably build another suit and blow the shit out of you, but why not try, right?"

"Again, I have no idea what you are talking about."

I sat straight up and whipped my head around to stare at him open mouthed. "Wait, do you know who Tony Stark is? Who _I _am?"

"I haven't a clue."

_Well fuck me._ I opened my mouth and then shut it. Oh, the ways to go about that are endless. _Lets go with the god-awful, overused cliché. _"What, have you been living under a rock for the past five years?"

"No, in a palace actually. Much larger than any of your people's, too."

_Okay, so a delusional, melodramatic, psychopathic killer has kidnapped me and is going to do what?_

_Well, dumbass, if you're so curious why don't you ask? Its worth a shot and he hasn't lied to you so far, as you can tell, nor has he hid anything you have asked him about. The worst he can do is refuse to answer you._

_Oh, true, true logical part of my brain. I do so love you. But here's the big question-do you _want_ to know why he has you here?_

I unintentionally stiffened up at the thought. No, no I didn't. I did but I didn't. But Loki distracted me yet _again_. He put his hand on my arm and pushed me back down on the bed, leaning over me slightly to look me in the eyes as he talked.

"I did not mean to insult you or discomfort you, love. I was only trying to make a joke, and I apologize. But you did bring up an excellent point we should discuss-your name." His lips quirked up a bit and looked down at me with glowing eyes-which were not black as I had first assumed. Instead, they were this beautiful green that was a deeper shade of green than the darkest Christmas trees. Nothing deluded the color and there was a sparkle to them of both intelligence and something else I couldn't put my finger on. It was, quite frankly, beautiful, in a terrifying way. "Well, what is it?" he half laughed.

"My name is Rosanna," I answered without thinking.

"Rosanna," he breathed. The way he says it, in his accent and eloquence, makes it sound like royalty… Beautiful.

My face went red again. "Well, most people know me as Rose, but…" _But I want to hear you say it like that and make me feel beautiful. So just call me Rosanna, love._

I realized the direction of my thoughts again. _Oh bloody hell. What is going on with your sanity?_

"Well? You didn't tell me yours."

"My name is Loki. There are quite a few titles that go along with that, but they're quite dreary and I don't want to bore you."

"Bore me. I dare you." I smirked up at him playfully and he does the same back with his black hair falling down around him. Then the shadow comes back and crosses over his face.

"Actually, I don't really know what they are anymore." Silence.

I want to hug him he looks so… So… Lost. There's no other way to describe it. I could literally feel his pain, and the looked he donned on his face was so familiar to me... It hurt.

The tips of his dangling hair tickled my face and I wrinkled my nose trying to brush my head in a way to get them to stop tickling me. Seeing my distress Loki doesn't pull them back but flips more of his hair down in my face and shakes his head. I can't help but be reminded of a shaggy dog and start to laugh, trying to get away from his silky soft hair. Then the most unexpected thing happens; Loki starts laughing too. And not just a laugh, this beautiful, deep laugh that comes from the very core and shakes your whole body with joy and crinkles your face in a grin kind of laugh that was so infectious to me that my laugh turned into awful girlish giggles.

"Stop!" I yell and am so lost that I forget everything and push him back flat on the bed with me kneeling over him. Not in a sexual way, no. But I pushed the enemy. And the look on his face as he looked up at me showed that he didn't care. Nor did I.

Needless to say, my ideas about him being a psycho killer were gone. Whamo. Goodbye. Call me crazy, call me the stupid typical girl in stories where nothing should go as it was, and really nothing _did_, nor did it _ever _for me. But seeing him laugh like that made me see a bit of a glimmer of who he _really _was.

There was a cold, dead look in his eyes when I first saw him, when he attacked the two men. There was no passion in his eyes or real conviction when he talked of us being made to rule. Know him I did not but in that moment, time stopped, as cliché as it sounds, and I knew he needed help. And I wanted to be the one to help him.

My hair was still a mess, the frizz probably making a messy halo around my head over the other curls. My dress probably looked god-awful and my makeup gone or streaking. But despite all of this Loki looked at me without cringing in the least or trying to help me straighten myself up. He seemed to be the type of person to look at _you_, not the outside you, but _you_. If you can understand what I mean. I had no one like that in my life, no one at all actually, and maybe I needed him just as much as he needed me.

Kind of crazy revelations after we'd just met.

But some have said, I am rather mad.

We sat there for a while just like that until Loki yawned, which caused me to yawn, and see the dark circles under his eyes.

"You haven't slept." It wasn't a question.

"No I have not."

"You need to get some rest."

"We still need to clear some things up about-"

"-You can do that later." I interrupted. "And to be quite honest I'm tired to."

"Understandable, you only slept for three hours."

"Something _else_ we need to straighten out…" I grumbled. The list was piling up. _What time is it? What _day _is it?_

"Ah, yes. Something _else_ to straighten out. Which I am able to do _now_." Stubborn man.

It was sweet of him; so obvious he didn't want to talk now by his constant yawning but he was adamant about it because I wanted to know. How _gentlemanly_? More than… Classy? No, still not right…

I wanted to know _then _though. Despite trying to be polite and nice to the poor, worn man beside me, I was _so _curious and in need of information. _Then_.

"How about this: You stay here and answer some of my questions-simple questions. And if we fall asleep, we fall asleep."

"But sleep here and you're here-"

"Oh don't be stupid. It's a big bed, King if I'm not mistaken. There's more than enough room for the both of us. I think we could split it. That way I get my questions answered, you feel like a nice guy, and we both get rest as soon as possible."

"But I don't think-"

"Then don't think."

"You know, I could have your head for interrupting me back at Asgard."

"Really?" I asked, ignoring the last word.

"No." He smiled at me again and started laughing. My brain seemingly turned off for the night, I grabbed a pillow and started hitting him with it only to make him laugh harder. After a minute I stopped accepting defeat with my hair even more askew and I put the pillow back. I pulled Loki vertically on the bed until he did so himself, settling nicely on the pillows with his hands folded on his stomach and crossed his feet after kicking off his shoes. It was then that I realized that he wasn't wearing armor or whatever he was before, no cape or anything weirdly fancy. Just an emerald green shirt that looked almost medieval in how simple cut it was with black pants and socks, and of course his shoes that were now on the ground.

Before I could even start to get under any of the covers he was breathing deeply, sound asleep. I laughed to myself and briefly considered sleeping in one of the lounge chairs across from me, but thought better of it because of my own words. It would be better if I actually went by what I said I would do so he would trust me, and somehow I knew he wouldn't believe me if I used the excuse I was afraid to wake him, which I very much was.

Somehow I got snuggled under the covers without disturbing him a bit. I was turned to him to watch him sleep, which was probably, no _really_, creepy. But it was calming and he looked like a child how peaceful he was. No mask, ghost, or anything was plaguing his face. Nothing but a smile playing at the corners of his lips. Beautiful.

I fell asleep to the steady sound of his breathing.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up in the morning for me is a bad thing. A really, really, _really _bad thing. But even worse for the people around me.

_This _fine fucking morning I was awoken to all sorts of yelling outside. Robotic, bored voices yelling to each other from what I guess to be across the hall. What about, I don't even know or care to know. All I know is that it was _too fucking early _to be up.

I opened my eyes a bit and I saw the littlest bit of light from the candle I apparently forgot to blow out the night before. _Or just an hour ago. Bleah. No one likes mornings why don't we just fire them?_

"Shut up," I murmured and buried my head deeper into the pillow I was holding on to. "Time for sleeping not yelling."

And the pillow moved.

Fuck.

I opened my eyes and looked up to the bemused face of Loki staring down at me. My arms were wrapped around him and one leg was kicked over him a bit, which was no small feat because he was lying over the covers and I was under them. His arm was around my back and the other reached over to push my hair out of my face. It was obviously me who decided to break any physical barriers during the night.

"Are they bothering you, love?" I was too stunned to speak a word, so I just stared at him with wide eyes and a red face. All mental activity just flat lined from pure fear of what he thought of all of this and plain embarrassment at what I'd subconsciously done.

_Since when have you cared? Grow your balls back, sweetie. Acting like this isn't very __Rosie_.

But I didn't have to move a muscle or make a sound-Loki slipped out of my grasp, stood, and strode to the door. He looked back at me and stared for a second before throwing the door open. He didn't yell, he didn't move, just stood there in the doorway for about three minutes somehow glaring at both noisy men before saying in a soft but terrifying voice. "The lady was sleeping and you _imbeciles_ woke her. What shall I do with you?"

Every word sent a shiver down my spine. The men spluttered apologies, obviously terrified at what may happen. One closest to the door from the right stepped forward making to come in, probably about to apologize to me-his tragic mistake.

Loki grabbed his collar and lifted him off of his feet. _Damn, the boy must work out. You can see his muscles completely outlined from the tightness of his shirt…_

"What. Are. You. _Doing_?" The man couldn't speak a word from being choked by his collar. Loki then half pushed half threw him into what had to be his companion's arms. Loki stormed off with the footsteps of another man following, the guard at my door going also.

I stared at the door and the hall trying to comprehend what just happened in what couldn't have been more than five seconds in time. Shaking my head, deciding not to bother trying, I got up and ran over to the door, shutting it quickly but quietly so no one would notice. Loki had taken my feeling of safety with him.

I got back under the covers leaving the candle on, for once liking light on to keep me safe while I doze. I pulled the pillow Loki was resting on to me and held it like I was him.

I lay there trying not to think until the door opened and in walked a furious Loki. He stomped in and slammed the door, stomping over to the bed and getting on, on top of the covers again, without saying a word. He pulled the pillow out of my grasp and laid where he was before, pulling my arm around him and pushing my head onto his chest.

_Well, okay then._

I lay stiff until his arm wrapped around me and his other hand came up to my head and started to run his fingers through my hair repeatedly. It immediately relieved me of my headache I wasn't even aware of. _Its funny how you get so used to them… Hmmm. Works better than an Advil._

"Go back to sleep, love. Go back to sleep."

_Wait. No._

"Um… I think I should get up now." I pulled my arm back and picked his hands off of me bringing them to rest on his chest, Loki letting me do it as if he was a doll.

"Why? Wait what are you doing?"

"Do you not find it intensely weird that my kidnapper is rubbing my head and I was curled around him asleep?"

"Hm, good point." His lips quirked up. "Do you not find it equally as strange that you came on your own will?"

"I did no such thing! I thought your guys were my body guards!"

"Mhm." Loki raised an eyebrow and gave me a perfect 'I am not impressed" look. I ignored it and scooted to the end of the bed tugging a pillow behind me. I set it up at the wall and laid down.

"Goodnight, evil kidnapper dude."

"_Dude_?"

"Duuudddeee."

"What does '_dude' _mean, Midguardian?"

"Just go with it Loki." I mumbled. We were silent for barely a second before I "Nope. No, no, no. Loki, I'm hungry. So, dude, feed me."

"Well, if you call me dude, then I must." _Is that a sparkle I see in those green eyes?_

"Then you must." I caught myself smiling at him, though it was only a small smile. "Come on!" I hopped out of bed. "There is food to be eaten! Drinks to be drank! Or is it drunk? Well I like drank because I don't feel like I'm talking about alcohol. No, this defiantly a nice sweet tea day." I was bouncing up and down by now while fixing my hair without a mirror.

"Sweet tea is something you like?" Loki asked while slowly getting up.

_No, Loki, I mentioned it because I hate it. _"Yes, I like it quite a bit. But, I am sure no one here could make it right so I'll have to make it myself." I looked down at my dirty little black dress. "Put tea bags on the list of things to get for me."

"Get for you?"

"Are you laughing at me?"

"This isn't how this works." He tried a more commanding, serious tone with me, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Duuudddeee," I said like a stoner. "_None_ of this is how it works."

"True. What else are you trying to demand?" I glared at him, and he actually seemed scared. _Well there's a normal fucking reaction._

"I need clothes. Other than this." I gestured to my dress and heals.

"Why? They're fine."

"They are not clean. And I want pants."

"Is that of your culture?" He looked downright appalled. _God all I want is some fresh clothes. Are clean clothes offensive now too?_

"No its my goddamn preference." I snap, my words dripping with sarcasm. But then I realize how utterly _stupid_ I sound. _He's been wearing the same clothes for the past three days._

_Some people like wearing the same clothes all the time._

_Yeah in cartoons and comic books. Not in real life._

"Have I offended you yet again?"

"No, you've annoyed me. Don't worry," I add quickly at the crestfallen look on his face. "Its not that hard to do if I haven't had coffee in the morning or sweet tea in so long, and it just gets worse if both of those factors are combined. Don't even get me started on me not having something to _do _other than sleep."

Loki seemed to completely transform during my rambling. He straightened up completely and held his chin higher. His eyes were glazed over a bit, like he was calculating something. He smirked and his eyes lit up again, almost giddy.

He pushed me down onto the bed so I was sitting on the edge, coming down to kneel in front of me with his hands still on my shoulders. "Don't worry love. I will go get you clothes." He rushed to the door and out, leaving it open.

"Wait!" I called out. A second later he was back.

"What?" He asked, confusion written all over his pretty face. But his child-like excitement was still there.

"You don't know my size."

"Oh…" He reddened.

I laughed. "Minor detail, minor detail."

He seemed to loose his embarrassment. "Well? What are they?"

I rattled them off, turning red as well. _Stop worrying about your size, sweetheart. You're not a size 00 nor will you ever be. Besides… Do you really want to be ass-less in jeans? Oh, and he's all weird and crazy-man-like. Like he thinks about stereotypes._

_Well a normal girl wouldn't be acting like this with a kidnapper._

God, I _was_ acting all buddy-buddy with him, wasn't I? Bubbly, even. Was I subconsciously trying to spend what probably will be my last few hours in laughter? _Its official. Counseling has ruined you._

_Oh shut up._

Maybe it's a coping mechanism. _No, this would have happened the last time you were in a situation like this._

Insanity? _No, if you were_ going_ to go mental, it would have happened long ago. You _are _mental._

_Oh now I'm just being snarky with _myself_._

_Oh you're always snarky with yourself._

I took a deep breath and fell back on the bed.

_No, sweetie, you're not insane, this isn't anything you can analyze, even though you will. You're just not a normal girl._

Not knowing what else to do, I set to counting the flickers in the candle light.

* * *

_**Okay, guys, I KNOW all of this is pretty weird, although none of you lovely readers have said it. But I pinky promise that it will ALL make sense later on! This is going to be a long, layered story and I'm going to make it worth reading. This is going to be a series, probably only three stories long. So we have a long, long way to go and I may or may not get better at this whole updating thing (and for your sakes I'm praying for MAY!).**_

_**Thank you to all of my reviewers. You are my loveliest of lovelies. 3 And I will name all of you next time. But right now I need to get this chapter up so...**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I am SO SO SO sorry that I haven't updated in so long! For a while I didn't want to update; I thought it was no good and that no one liked it. After that I just forgot about updating it, really, with school and all. But I'm back and I hope that you'll like this new chapter.**_

_**IMPORTANT: I swear, THERE IS A REASON FOR EVERYTHING. I put a lot of time into figuring this all out and if something seems strange, which I know most all of it does, just trust me in that its like that for a reason. Everything will be revealed in time, my lovelies.**_

_**ALSO IMPORTANT: I am going to mention foundation that has stayed on for quite a while, and this is actually real stuff. So 1, I'm not making it up and 2, AGAIN-ITS IMPORTANT TO THE STORY.**_

_**And ANOTHER sorry: While I could apologize for all of the caps in this before-you-read intro, I will rather apologize for not mentioning before that she's been wearing tights this entire time. I won't mention them outright but she has been wearing some. This is awkward…**_

_**ONE LAST THING: This is going to be super short; I wanted to make a quick update so you all would know that I didn't forget about you and will continue to update now that I'm back.**_

_**Well, that's enough of the writer talking. Lets get on to the good stuff, shall we?**_

_**Review please-I want to make it as best as it can be for you and your reviews make me want to write even more.**_

* * *

By the time Loki came back I had lost count of the candle flickers about five times and eventually gave up in favor of staring at the shadows it made. Loki came in first with two men behind him, each with two bags in each hand. They dropped them to the floor and promptly left the room, letting Loki shut the door. Loki looked at me for the first time since he came in, rather staring at the packages. Now he looked up to see me staring at him expectantly, but not making a move to get up. I was in a lazy state, to say the least.

"I have you clothes!" Loki looked downright pleased with himself. "Also, I have gotten you nightwear, underclothes," I reddened a bit at this, "And other things that you may need or find of use." He clapped his hands together. "I hope you will find everything in order. Now, I need to take care of some business, but I will be back within an hour or so. Please, feel free to use the facilities," He snapped a finger and a new door appeared next to the lounge chairs to the left of him. With one last smile and a short bow he turned and was gone, thankfully, shutting the door behind him this time.

_Didn't even get a word in._

I got up and stalked over to the packages, kneeling down and inspecting them carefully as if I feared a bomb was in one, though I truly didn't think there was one. In the first package there was a mid-thigh length black coat looking inside to find a Burberry tag. I laid the coat out on the bed and moved to the next package where I found an emerald green top, short sleeved, drapey, and scoop-necked in a t-shirt style. In the same bag was a black peasant style dress that came to the knees with quarter length sleeves. In another package was a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a simple leather jacket which I instantly fell in love with just as I did the Burberry jacket. In the last package in the first pile had black leather riding boots that looked nice but also fit for running. Everything had a designer tag, though I tried to avoid looking at them.

In the next pile of bags I found one filled with a couple bras and underwear. Turning bright red I quickly went searching through the rest, which held body wash, shampoo and conditioner, a comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, and some hair ribbons, the washes and comb coming from a professional line. Loki had thought of probably everything I would need, and it all was so high-end it made me uncomfortable.

_Its not like you're not used to it. In fact, I believe you already have that particular Burberry coat…_

_But its from someone else. That's different._

_What about your admirers?_

_Oh they think they'll get their moneys worth by wooing me._

_Don't forget your favorite prince though._

_That's different. He's royal and royals have money to burn._

I then remembered the god Loki from Norse mythology was supposed to be a prince too, but the thought left my mind as quickly as it came.

Looking closer to the hair products I found they were specifically for curly hair. _Aw, he even made sure to get it so that it wouldn't change my hair up. That's so sweet._

_Does he even know about the difference in hair products?_

_Oh shut up its still sweet._

I cleaned up the mess from the packages by stuffing them all into a larger one, gathered everything into my arms, and made my way to the "facilities" as Loki so called them. With the pile in my arms it was a wonder I was able to get the door opened. Inside, the lights were already on and there were scattered candles in random places. To my left there was a counter made of white marble with two sinks with the faucets gold. Everything in the room was either white or gold, really. Or white accented by gold and the other way around. A large mirror hung over the counter that went from the counter's surface up to the ceiling and from wall to wall. I avoided looking at it for fear of seeing what a mess I was in. On the right side there was the loo in the corner and beside me was a huge shower-tub. Again, both white and gold. After brushing my teeth and relieving myself I set out my clothes and moved my shower things to the shower and hoped in. I turned the water on scalding hot just like I liked it and proceeded to scrub myself red getting all makeup off of my arm and face and washed my hair at least three times, so sure that some debris or smoke form the attack was still there. When I shut the showerhead off and opened the sliding door it had there were two emerald green towels hanging on a rack and a hair dryer by my clothes.

_Oh gods was Loki in here?_

_Don't worry you great prune, the shower was too steamy for him to see through the glass._

_Oh don't flatter yourself sweetheart. He probably tried his best to look away so he wouldn't have to see you._

I quickly looked through the open restroom, hiding behind the fogged up glass, to make sure he wasn't there still. Seeing he wasn't I got out and dried myself. I wrapped the towel around me and combed out my hair, letting out hisses of pain when I caught a snarl, which was quite often. After my hair was free of all tangles I blow-dried it and got into my clothes, without the lovely long coat but instead the leather jacket. It was light enough and I figured I wouldn't be going outside anytime soon, as I was still captive even if it didn't feel like it.

Turning around I found what must have been a laundry bin, since a rubbish bin was by the loo, at the end of the counter. _That wasn't here when I got out of the shower. _A shiver went down my spine. I looked around for Loki again but the room was still void of any tall self-proclaimed god. I tossed my dirty dress and underclothes in the bin from the other side of the room, too afraid of the appearing laundry bin to get close to it. Leaving the shower products and my comb in the restroom I rushed back into the bedroom with the coat and extra pair of underclothes in my arms.

Right beside me was Loki sitting in one of the lounge chairs. When the door opened and I came out with all the things in my hand he immediately stood and took them from me, folding the coat over the undergarments that were on the top, and set them on the table. I blushed at him seeing them, but he didn't seem to pay any mind.

"You look beautiful." My flush turned even deeper with the compliment. He said every word with such passion that it was unlike most compliments one usually hears-he truly seemed to mean it from his words to the look on his face. He had looked me over once, but his eyes were firmly trained on my face instead of staring at my chest or arse. His lips quirked up a bit seeing my red face. I tried to hide my face by turning away to shut the restroom door and let my curls fall into my face, but when I turned back he just smiled wider.

"Are you trying to hide from me, love?"

_All right. Business time, sweetheart. Put your game face on. _"No. And I would appreciate it if you refrained from calling me 'love', or any other terms of endearment that you may come up with."

"Why is that, love?" He was toying with me. If the slight quirk of his lips didn't give it away it was that damnable sparkle in his eye.

"You know full well why. I want answers and I want them now."

"Okay." His consent took me aback. I was expecting more of a fight. I cleared my throat. "Um, well then why don't we discuss this over lunch?"

"That would be lovely."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hello again! Merry Christmas, or a happy whatever-doesn't-offend-you! I FINALLY finished this chapter and I think I got all of the elements I was trying to get into it as I wanted.**_

_**I want to make note that this is not a "Mary Sue" fanfiction, or anything of the sort. I made Rosanna **_**for _Loki and I did it in the best way possible, while still making a character that I wanted to write in the perspective from._**

**_And I know I'm being awfully dodgy about her past but all in good time lovelies!_**

**_So please, give me your thoughts and review-as a Christmas gift to me!_**

* * *

Loki lead me from the room to where we ate breakfast. It had some food on the table, different kinds of bread and everything you would need to make a sandwich.

"What do you wish to drink?" He asked, closing the door behind us.

"Sweet tea, as usual" I rolled my eyes at him.

I noticed a flick of his hand still at his side and turned expecting to see a waiter of sorts but my eyes found nothing but a windowless door. When I looked back there was a glass of sweet tea in the place where I normally sat. Weirdness. _Again._

"Okay, enough with the magic tricks! You could have just told me where it was and I could have gotten it like a normal person." I threw my hands up in exasperation but the bastard just _laughed _at me!

"What?!" He stopped chuckling only to start up again, this time laughing harder and bending in half. I put my hands on my hips and waited for him to control himself.

"It is not a magic _trick _but just plain _magic _you silly mortal!"

"If that jug of tea is magical I've got a furry tail coming out of my ass and if you're a god, _Loki God of Mischief, _then I'm an atheist!"

He laughed again but quickly composed himself at my answering glare. "Its not the _tea _that is magical, but how it came to be on the table. Watch."

He nodded at the pitcher and I followed his gaze. The moment my eyes fell upon it, the pitcher of tea rose up in the air then moved a little to the left. My jaw literally dropped open wide. The pitcher leaned a little and was _pouring me a glass of sweet tea_.

"_Holy mother of god_."

"Yes, that would be Frigga, Queen of Asgard, you are speaking of." Loki said his chest puffing out with pride and with a smirk, which flickered but came back as quickly as it went. Noticing my unease, he set the pitcher down and continued, "Why don't we just eat?"

I was more grateful than he could imagine at his words. I felt sort of numb, as if everything I was told in life was a lie, as cliché as that is. My entire life was based on fact and knowledge and how to obtain it. Yes, you can read fantasy books and dream of a better world but you're going to be disappointed because it doesn't really exist so face up to that reality.

This shattered it all and left me to pick up the pieces.

"So, you're pretty old, right? I mean if you're Loki from Norse mythology…"

His cheeks turned a light shade pink. "Yes, compared with your human spans of lifetime I am old. And you would be young, my age I gather around-"

I cut him off before he could embarrass himself by calling me fifty. "Nineteen." I said with a raised eyebrow.

He scoffed. "A child!" His face became even pinker now, dancing on the line between red.

"Excuse you!" I lashed out, jumping from my seat with my hands gripping the edge of the table. Unconsciously I was leaning over it almost in Loki's face. "Don't you have any idea who I am?!"

"Rosanna of Earth." His eyes danced with merriment, obviously enjoying my little outburst.

_Not everyone can know who you are, darling. _I chided myself. _Give him a break. It is not as if you're, _Tony Stark.

_Bah thank god, the bastard._

_Man I call people bastards a lot._

_Its because everyone is a bastard._

I sat back down, staring down at my plate. We fell into a comfortable silence then, leaving each other to their own thoughts. I was not hungry in the slightest but being polite won out so I ate a piece of toast while Loki heartily made himself some lunch. My mind strayed again to the ever-annoying reminder that I should be trying to get myself out of here.

_But things are just getting interesting, _a part of me whined. I looked up at Loki from beneath my lashes. He met my gaze and we held it; it was not a gaze between lovers nor was it staring but just taking the other in and deciding that they were really here. At least that was what it was for me.

I was able to really take him in all at once. His hair was sort of oily, giving it a shine not unlike the gold elements on his clothing. His hair was raven black and hung down to his shoulders. He slicked it back off his face and seemed to give no other attention to it. His face, hell, his whole body looked as if to be chiseled from stone; his features were so… Angular. _Precise._ He had the best cheekbones I'd ever seen. The ones that could cut glass. His eyes were beautiful, framed perfectly from his eyebrows you only noticed if he raised one mockingly. They were a beautiful emerald green that turned lighter when he laughed. His lips were perfect and you could just-

No. _Bad. This is _no _time to let the hormones take over._ My face was undoubtedly red, as it usually got when I was in the company of attractive men.

"You are not as timid as I thought you would be." He mused, breaking the silence.

"And you're not as evil." I muttered.

He coughed as if he was choking. "Pardon?"

"No I will _not_ pardon you because YOU KIDNAPPED ME NOW TAKE ME BACK!"

He just continued to look at me, saying no more. I was the one who had to break the silence this time.

"Why do you have me here?" I asked meekly.

"I don't know." He said seriously.

"You don't know?" _How the hell do you not know why you would kidnap someone?!_

"Yes, that is what I said, is it not?" He snapped, getting some attitude back.

"Are you lying to me, God of Mischief?"

"No. I truly don't know why I had you here." He looked down and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay." I thought for a moment. "Well... Why did you attack those people, Loki?"

"I had to get information from one of them." I could almost see him retreating from me.

"I didn't see the two of you talking… More like throwing him on a slab of marble."

He almost smiled. "I had to scan his eye." My eyes widened but I toned them down. _My technology. He's taken some of S.H.I.E.L.D._

"I wish I didn't have to." He whispered, barely audible.

"Well you don't _have _to do anything except die. The rest is optional."

He laughed. "If only that were true."

I sighed and put down my toast. We were getting nowhere. "Well, could you give me something to _do _today? It's been rather boring having to sit idle, twiddling my thumbs."

"I don't know, Rosanna…" He looked at me hesitantly. _Finally. Someone who doesn't underestimate me._

"It gives me a lot of time to think." I said flatly, knowing the effect it may have.

"I'll give you a tour of what we're doing here." He gave me a tight smile and with a flourish he got up, took my hand, and we were off.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Wow! Two chapters in two days! I'm on a roll guys. Its short, but still. Tell me what you think, please!_**

* * *

Loki held tightly to my hand as we walked down the hallway. Well, Loki was dragging me the entire way. Corridor after corridor I almost had to run to keep up with the tall man's stride. I realized now that he was at least a foot taller than me; the top of my head barely brushed his shoulder.

He stopped abruptly and looked down at me smirking. "Would a more leisurely pace do better for you, love?"

I huffed at him and gave him my best glare. "I. Am. Not. Short." _You're just freakishly tall. _I pushed past him and made my way further down the bland hall.

"Do you know where you're going?"

_Damn._

I did a round about to face him again, my posture defiant. "Well? Oh great leader, show me the way."

His head fell back as if consumed with great pleasure, his eyes closed and his lips parted. "Oh Rosanna," Loki moaned, an eye peaking open to look at me, "How those words _please _me."

_Bastard. _My face heated up and my eyes widened to the size of saucers. He started to laugh as he did in the dining hall, the rumble of laughter that came from his very soul and burst out of him, making him bend like he was going to double over. His eyes were bright and his smile was awkward, as if his muscles weren't quite sure how to do the job. But some sort of natural ability shone through in the smile anyway and, oh, it was beautiful. The thought entered my mind before I could prevent it; _I would do _anything _to see it again, kill to hear that musical laugh._

_You know, maybe that _is _the way to get such a reaction, to kill and all. He _is _a _murderer _you stupid girl!_

Most of his laughter had subsided, leaving him chuckling and his eyes twinkling. "Darling, how beautiful you are when you blush. The rosy tone compliments you nicely. I believe I could spend many a lifetime finding ways to blush more." His words brought an even deeper flush to my cheeks. He laughed again and shook his head, seeming… Astounded. Yes astounded for whatever the reason.

"Does a simple truth truly do the same to you as a sexual innuendo? How curious…" His drawling voice trailed off as he made a move towards me. I took an involuntary step back but it did not deter him. He came toward me again and I tried to step back, but all I found was a wall against my back. The manipulative bastard had turned me towards the wall somehow.

"A lie does…" My voice trailed off.

"It is not a lie." He snapped sharply.

He came closer until our bodies were only _just_ apart. He loomed over me, but not in a menacing way. I stared strait ahead, barring holes into his chest. "No where to run, no where to hide, beautiful one." His whisper was cool against my skin. He took two fingers and brushed a stray curl out of my face. Then, taking the same two fingers, he stroked down from behind my ear, down to my neck, and up to my chin, securing them under it and lifting it up for me to look at him. There was a smirk on his face but his emerald eyes were as soft as his touch, exuding sincerity. It must be a trick.

I gripped at his clothing _wanting_ only to pull him closer knowing I _must_ push him away. I looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Please, Loki… No…" His eyes mirrored his emotions, first showing disbelief, then sadness… Hurt? But if it was it quickly turned cold, glacially so. He pushed off of the wall from where his hands were placed at either side of my head, something I didn't even notice before. He really had had me trapped. "Loki!" I pleaded, calling out to him but he wrenched his arm away from my hand as I tried to grasp it. He tried to walk away from me but I knew he would only stop for the truth.

"I just don't want to get hurt again." My words echoed out into the hall, repeating them over and over. He turned to me, _finally_, looking to see if what I said was true.

"Who hurt you?" He growled. He was angry, awfully so, at just the drop of a dime. It scared me.

"I don't want to talk about it." I kept my eyes everywhere except on his. He turned away from me again but I screamed "NO!" as I remember doing only once before in my life. The echo of that scream, that awful, terrible scream, came bouncing off the walls and back to my ears only to be echoed over and over in my mind. Memories rushed from the depths of my nightmares into my consciousness. They consumed me.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hello everyone! I'm already working on the next chapter so it may not be as long as I have a good bit of it hashed out now. But I just wanted to give you all something as a late Christmas present (or whatever you freaking like, no one get their panties in a wad) and wish you all a happy new year (yes, not capitalized because its not even a real freaking holiday (in my opinion)! **_

_**PLEASE R&R!**_

_**Love you all!**_

* * *

…_I screamed "NO!" as I remember doing only once before in my life. The echo of that scream, that awful, terrible scream, came bouncing off the walls and back to my ears only to be echoed over and over in my mind. Memories rushed from the depths of my nightmares into my consciousness. They consumed me._

I woke up drenched; from sweat or water from a cool, damp cloth on my forehead I was not sure. I felt the cloth being patted on my forehead then on the back of my neck. As I woke up more I found someone was holding my hand tight in theirs. It hurt, but not in a bad way. It told me someone was there, so it couldn't hurt me. A mummer escaped my lips as I started to wake up more, the memories coming back with my consciousness. Well, they had never left really; while I was out there were nightmares from my past coming to haunt me again. Another mummer escaped me as my head started to pound as if I had had too much to drink the night before. The hand squeezed tighter.

"Rosanna? Rosanna? Are you awake?" It was Loki, of course it was Loki. I opened my eyes slowly to make sure the light was not too bright. He was crouched right over me, his hair falling into his face as he looked down at me. "Here, sit up." He practically lifted me off the bed and propped some pillows behind me.

"Doctor Selvig! She's awake!"

"Not so loud." I mumbled, bringing a hand to my forehead.

"Oh I'm so sorry, dear, I should have known." He pulled my hand away from my forehead setting it on my lap and put the damp cloth to my head again. _Oh we're onto 'dear' now. Wonderful._

A man who I assumed to be Dr. Selvig came in just about then. He was neither tall nor short; kind of in the middle, which was the same for his weight. He had brownish-white hair that was wispy on the back and sides of his head, the rest of it bald. He had bright blue eyes like the few other men I had seen here.

"Sir." He said, slightly bowing. "Would you like for me to get the doctor?"

"Yes, Selvig." Loki snapped as if he should have known to do just that. I glared at him for his rude behavior but before he could even notice another man came in with a small briefcase. He, too, had blue eyes. Loki moved out of the way and the man immediately replaced him. He was all business, flicking an annoying little flashlight in my eyes this way and that, then listening to my heart from underneath my shirt. The moment he tried to press the cold, silver disk down on my skin he sat up raggedly, almost like at attention.

"I'm sorry sir but I must do that if anything." He winced and tried again, "_Sir_, please, just let me listen to her heart." He then pressed it down and listened in a couple of places, then moved to my back to try there. Right after that he all but ran out of the room like a bat out of hell.

"What did you do to him?"

"What are you talking about?" Loki walked back around the bed and came to sit by my side again, taking my hand once more.

"Oh don't play coy with me, obviously something was wrong!"

"Perhaps he is wrong and you just hit your head and have a, what do you call it, a concussion?" He was laughing at me, damn him.

"Just tell me!"

"I am the God of Mischief, Loki, master of sorcery. I can make cities disappear, realms fall, skies burn."

"Very fancy," I said appreciatively. "But give me the _truth, _God of Lies. How have you been doing your parlor tricks?"

"Parlor tricks?!" Ooh I hit a nerve. He really seemed pissed. "Tell me, is this a parlor trick?" He pulled his hand out of my grasp and stood only to lean over me with his hand right in front of my face. Suddenly, his hand was on fire. It slowly burned into just a ball of flames hovering an inch over it. I didn't blink, I didn't breathe, just stared at that ball of flames until it left as quickly as it came.

"Now," He smiled at me superiorly, "Does that seem like a parlor trick to you?"

"No…" I murmured, my voice trailing off with my thoughts. You dream of magic your whole life, you read books, believe in Santa, see Disney movies and think a prince is going to save you from the very clutches of evil and marry you after just one kiss. You read books about people in a magical world, watch television shows about them, movies, and you put yourself in their place dreaming of these unbelievable worlds where you think you may belong since you don't anywhere else. But let me tell you, the mere _concept _of magic cannot be grasped until you have seen it. That little ball of fire, that was my dreams coming true. That all I had hoped for was real and everything was going to be okay. _Magic exists._

And all of that just fell on top of me in a rush like water drowning me, consuming me. Loki seemed to sense that. He sat down and waited for me to gather my thoughts and put them in order. Even after a minute, all I could muster was a breathy, "Could you do that again?"

He gave a small laugh, his eyes alight with something akin to love for his craft. "Of course." I pulled up my legs and sat Indian style making more room and patted the space in front of me. He sat almost like sitting sidesaddle, fully on the bed but left his long legs hanging off. He brought his hands together in a cupping motion and there the beautiful fire was again. I laughed, I cringe to say more like a giggle, and brought my hands to my mouth to hide the wide grin I was bearing. I just stared at it for a while, just taking it all in over and over again. Then I lifted my eyes to look at Loki, who was looking at me. His face was the epitome of pure joy; his grin was wider than mine, and this time it looked natural instead of unused. He looked at me like a child with a sort of wonder that confused me. Why would he look at _me_ like that? He is the one doing magic! He is the wonder sitting right before my eyes! And he looks at _me_? A blush coming to my cheeks, I looked back down to his hands to stare into the fire once more. Subconsciously, I pulled down the sleeve of my left arm.

"Here," Loki said, breaking through my revere. He moved the fire to one hand and took his other to my right, pulling it forward. He put it next to his own, his hand dwarfing mine with his long fingers. The fireball moved then to the center of the oval our hands made and I could feel the heat radiating from it. He let it sit there for a moment then he took his hand away, the fireball settling over the center of my hand. It didn't touch me, it merely hovered there.

I looked up at Loki once more. "You're amazing." I didn't mean to say it, I was certainly thinking it but I did _not _want to say it out loud! His eyes went wide for a moment, his lips parted in a perfect 'o', and then he smiled at me like I gave him the greatest gift in the world. But it slid off his face in a moment, all the happiness gone from him all at once as I watched, the fire reaching, trying to burn then gone.

"But I am a murderer." He whispered, his eyes crinkling at the sides in fear or anger I did not know.

"There is always redemption," I whispered back, "And you are no murderer. I saw what you did and…" I looked away. It was silly of me to assume.

"What?" He urged me on, taking my still raised hand in his, holding on so tight it hurt.

I looked him strait in the eye so he would find the truth there. "There was no passion in your killing. In your words, yes, but not in your actions. There is a murderer, there is insane, and then there is an assassin. And you don't seem crazy to me, at least your mind. Your clothes could use some work." I looked pointedly down at what he was wearing. His get up of leather, green material, and metal was pretty badass, but out of this world in style. I had never seen anything like it, even in the movies. He smiled softly at me, almost tentative to be happy, and his eyes alight with amusement.

"You do not find my clothes fetching?"

"I find your clothes to be uncomfortable looking, if I am to be truthful. And quite strange in style. But, as they say, it's your clothes, your money, wear what you wish." Yes. There was defiantly that ghost of a smile.

"Well I find your clothes strange too, Midgardian."

"Then we are in perfect agreement."

"Good." He stood up pulling me to my feet with him. I stumbled a bit, but he caught me by the waist. He let go far too early for my liking, his face flushed, but still held fast to my hand. "There is something I need to show you." He said seriously. "Come."

And he was dragging me out of the room and down the hallways again.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hello everyone. I don't think anyone's really reading this anymore, so I'm sorry if you're disappointed in this. I'll post more chapters if I write them but they probably won't be as quickly updated. I mean, I will still write but I'm not going to pull all nighters for something that no one reads.**_

_**Thank you if you made it this far, you are the few. If you actually like something, PLEASE review so that I can do more of whatever it was. Have a wonderful day.**_

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"You have a thing for dragging me, don't you, Loki?"

"Well it gets you to do what I wish for you to, so yes I do."

"Subjugation?" I asked, thinking back to his speech.

"Something like that, yes." There it was again, that smile-smirk. I was wondering where it had gone to, it had been gone for a while there.

We were now in the hall that I had fainted in earlier. At the end of it there was an lift, which he pressed the button for. The door was made of steel that I could see myself relatively well through. My hair was god awful, a frizzy, curly mess, which I combed through with my fingers to try to tame. The clothes he gave me fit well and flattered what could be flattered, my blue-green eyes popped with the shirt and with Loki's cosplay like outfit. He was looking at me go over my appearance and I could feel it. I looked at his staring reflection and compared the two of us. Our hair was only shades apart, his raven black, mine a brown-black that didn't quite go either way. Our skin was exactly the same ghostly pale. But that was where our similarities ended. He was tall while I was short; I had almond shaped eyes while his were sharper, more calculating. My features were soft, more round than his prominent cheekbones. We were both quite muscular but in different ways. He still had the appearance of being a very thin but very muscular man while I had more curves. I had an hourglass shape, but I felt out of place in this world where stick thin women were everywhere and were considered more pretty than a healthy me. In Marilyn Monroe's time, I'd be a looker but now... I guess I'm just out of luck.

The lift ding brought me back and Loki pulled me into the shaft. I grew uncomfortable being in such a small space with him, so close to him after our almost kiss that still had me reeling. I had to focus to keep my mind somewhere other than on his lips, which he just _had _to moisten every now and then. Yes. That did _not _help.

"Will you promise me you won't be afraid?" Loki asked so quietly I could have mistaken it for being just my imagination. But the way he was looking away from me clued me in that _he _was afraid.

"I could never be afraid." It was the truth. He seemed to take comfort in my words.

The ride seemed to take forever, going farther and farther down. From the pressure building in my ears I decided that we must be going under ground, and very far too. Finally, we reached the end of the lift, and the doors opened.

It was a room. A vast, open room that looked hard and cold. There was a flurry of scientists, if their lab coats were a good give away, and they were all working around a cube in a way that reminded me of bees in their organized mess. It was a bright light blue of what material I had never seen before in my life. I was instantly drawn to it, Loki trailing behind me with a bemused look on his face. There was an energy in the room that made me uneasy but feel safe at the same time, and it seemed to be coming from the cube. Somehow I got through the scientists and was standing right in front of it. I don't remember walking to it, I don't remember anything after the lift opening but the cube. In those moments, it was my essence.

I was a moth to the flame.

My hand reached up on its own accord to the cube, I just wanted to touch it. I wanted to feel its power and know how it felt. It was just a few inches from my fingertips, just an inch, mere centimeters away…

Then a hand slapped mine down, hard. It was Loki, of course, and he was holding my hand in a vice like grip. I was slowly loosing all feeling from it.

"What were you _thinking_?!" He half hissed, half yelled at me.

"I just wanted to touch it." I said petulantly, still a little dazed from the effects of the cube.

"You have no _idea _what could happen to you. You don't even know what it _is_!" He was growling now, which was pretty damn sexy if you ask me, but my curiosity got the better of me.

"What is it exactly?"

"This is the Tesseract." And my mind was zooming. _This is what Uncle Phil was talking about! _I had heard only whispers about it through my friends and Uncle Phil, but I thought it wasn't as important as they made it out to be; they made a huge deal of everything. So I didn't try to pry my way into it.

_Well it looks like you should have, sweetheart. _And for once, I didn't disagree with my snarky side.

So the Tesseract was in S.H.I.E.L.D. hands, _and Loki had stolen it._

Loki continued on as if there had been no great revelation going through my mind. "The Tesseract is one of the most powerful artifacts in all the nine realms, Rosanna. It has almost unlimited power, something that drew other Midguardians to it. And it," he let his hand hover over the side of the Tesseract, "has enough power to destroy your entire planet." He looked at me anticipating me to be horrified.

I had no idea what _nine realms_ he was talking about, but I believed every word. _Enough power to destroy Earth. _I snorted.

"Do you think I lie, Midguardian?" He snapped.

"Don't _call _me that." I snapped right back at him. "I have a _name. _I'm not some dog. And for your information, I find it funny that my people had the power to destroy the entire Earth and didn't do it themselves."

He raised his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on. You pointed it out yourself. We kill and maim each other every day. We talk of peace but all we end up with is destruction. We're at constant battle with ourselves, going from parent between child to nation between nation. Honestly, I think I believe more in your big speech than you do. I don't necessarily believe we need one person ruling us all, don't get me wrong, that person or group of people would become mad with power and eventually become corrupt. I just hope that we all just don't exist one day. I see so little good in our everyday world. That's all."

I had shocked him, that much was evident. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly gaped open. It annoyed me.

"Shut your mouth, some flies could get in. Are you honestly _surprised_ that I have an opinion?"

"No," _Finally, he speaks. _"Just surprised that you would be so harsh on your own people and narcissistic."

"If you haven't figured out that I'm one hell of a narcissist then you haven't been paying very much attention."

His lips quirked up in a little smirk. "You remind me of my self, Rosanna, and my attitude towards my own people." He got a certain wistful look on his face but it was quickly gone.

"I should remind you of no one; I am my own person Loki, and to my true self shall I be true."

"Then I should say we are similar. Would you agree to that?" He was smiling now.

"Yes." I smiled back. I paused for a moment then asked quietly, "Why do you do this?"

"Do what? Attack this pit of base creatures?" He scoffed. I could almost feel him about to go into a speech. "Because this world needs to be ruled. You kill and hurt each other every day. But when someone comes to show you a better way, you act as if it is wrong. You are all weak."

"Well I am glad to know that I am nothing more than a weak and base creature. Thank you for enlightening me." I turned and ripped my hand away from where he was still holding it.

"Rosanna, wait!" _What a damn idiot. _I reached the lift and almost broke the button by smashing it, repressing the urge to push it repeatedly as if it would come more quickly.

"Rosanna." His tone was reapproving and I spun on him.

"A _base creature_?! _Really_?! Those were your choice of words. I am _not _some base creature, nor one you can order around so stop trying to."

"I did not mean it like that Rosanna-" Oh but I was too mad to listen.

"Oh don't you even _dare _try and talk to me like that, you pathetic liar." It was the rage talking; I truly didn't feel like that, but it came out and I paid the consequences.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth there was that walking stick in Loki's hand. He raised it to me and the point to my chest. I lifted my arms up as if to protect myself, but a zap of blue light came out of it and wound itself in me.

Loki was controlling me.


	10. Chapter 10

**_I am proud to say that we are now into double digits lovely readers! I must admit that this was totally fueled from the amazing response from all of you to my giving up. I'm sorry and I hope I can make that up to you with this chapter. I really _really_ like it for some reason, I don't know why. Thanks for the reviews! I hope I'll get some more on what you liked or did not. :)_**

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It was strange, being controlled. It felt like my mind was in a fog, like coming out of a drug-induced sleep that you just couldn't shake. And it was blue. A light blue. When you're groggy it feels like a fuzzy grey but this was a HD, cold, bright light blue. It may be confusing, but its what it was.

I had two constant levels of consciousness; there was one that me and there was one that was me, but a mindless, submissive me that wanted to please Loki more than anything. Somehow, those two consciousnesses were intertwined to make one single consciousness. And it gave me time to think.

It was scary, awfully so, how similar the two me-s inside me were. There was the adoration that we both felt towards him, one mindless, but the other in amazement of how _perfectly _he was sculpted, how _intoxicating _he smelled, like pine, how _perfect_ his accent was, how it just washed over you like the tide, how _amazing _he was for doing magic, how _funny _he could be, how _caring _he was just minutes ago when I woke up from fainting, and how _much _I wanted to know him better to find more of this funny, amazing, perfection.

That's when I realized I loved him.

Outside of my mind, for that is what it had become now, like I was trapped inside myself, Loki was looking at me. Just looking. I was standing perfectly strait, my hands now at my side, and I was just looking at him. This was me, a perfectly usual stance for me, but not me.

"How do you feel?" Loki's voice rang out through the wide expanse of my mind. He looked concerned, like he didn't know how it felt or how I was reacting inside, the _me _me.

"I feel fine, sir. And yourself?" It was a simple response, but one that was totally different. It was one I was raised to say, it was the one that I would say to an elder, well, technically he _was _an elder now that he had proof that he had magic and _must _be a god, or a better, which was hard for me to find now of days, though a god _would _be a better that is the whole _point_. But nonetheless I had been casual with him before but now I was not.

Loki realized that for a flicker of discontent flashed across his face before settling into more curiosity. "_Sir_. I quite like that."

"Good, sir. Can I do anything for you?" _Ugh. _I cringed inside.

"No." He seemed to be at a loss. "Actually, yes. Walk with me."

Mindless me forced my body to move and I walked just a bit behind him, respectfully. He did not speak, just walked and watched his other minions do his bidding. _How in the world can you be in love with someone you've barely known for days? And is as old as he? _The thoughts would have brought me to a halt. I mulled them over for a moment. _Well, if teenage girls can be in love with a fictional hundred-year-old vampire then I can be in love with a thousand year old god. And Daddy always said that it was love at first sight for him and your mother. Why can't it be true for you?_

Loki then walked to the lift and I ran ahead of him to get the button. Oh I hated little scuttle monkeys like this in the workplace and I had no more tolerance for them here, even if it was me now. Loki caught up to me rather quickly and gave me a sort-of triumphant smile.

"Thank you Rosanna." Monkey-Me was confused.

"You have no need to thank me, sir. I am at your disposal."

Loki opened his mouth as if to say something but the ding of the lift interrupted him. I held my arm open as if to usher him in and he went in with a now confused look on his face. I wondered what internal struggle he was having with himself, but my Monkey-Me forced me not to ask. That was when I felt the barrier that was forcing me not to be myself. I tested it by pushing it a little. It pushed back, hard, into a splitting headache. I stopped pushing and the headache was just… Gone. It was quite _interesting _really.

The doors closed in on us and I could feel a pull towards Loki. I had the strongest urge to kiss him, but it wasn't just _me _me, but also the other. _She _was being pulled by another force entirely. _Loki. _I could just tell by the trace of it. I leaned towards him as if going in for a kiss but then the pull stopped and instead pushed me back. Loki looked positively alarmed. The bell rang again and we were back to the level we started with. Loki grabbed my arm painfully with his nails digging into me and _again _started to drag me. I was getting really tired of this treatment but didn't try to push on the other me until we got to what I had dubbed the dining room.

"Sit." He said it harshly and started to pace back and forth. He did this for a bit before brashing his scepter at me. The blue stone in it shone and I was out from his control.

"_What the bloody hell was that_?!"

"I'm sorry."

"Well sorry doesn't cut it." I tried to stand but he pushed me back down with that damnable scepter.

"No. Stay."

"No. I want to go to my room."

"I'm sorry. Don't you understand? I've never said that to anyone in my life before now and truly meant it. _I'm sorry_." He looked like he was about to cry.

"Oh no. No you are not going to play that on me. You're like some broken doll, aren't you? Some poor shattered doll that I'm supposed to feel sorry for." _But you _are _sorry for him. You want to help him. And you know that._

"Broken. Do you pity me then? I wish you wouldn't. From one shattered soul to another, I see very little difference between us. And that, I believe, frightens you more than I ever could."

"I could never be afraid of you, Loki." I expected him to be offended and try to scare me, but he surprised me, as always.

He was calm and only curiosity filled his eyes. "Why not?"

"Because I love you."

His eyes darkened and fear overcame his features. "But I am a killer! A murderer!"

"That doesn't change anything." I said calmly. And it didn't. He started to pace in front of me while I just sat with my hands folded on the table. It certainly was not how I expected my declaration of undying love to go, but with him, things were just never as expected.

"It should!" He hissed at me. He looked positively violent for a moment, and I jumped up and scuttled back away from him. His eyes hardened for a moment but softened as he took in my face for the first time in the whole conversation. A little V formed between his eyebrows in concentration. "You _are_ afraid of me." His voice was alarmed, fear flooded back into his beautiful eyes.

_He is so confusing. _He says I should be afraid of him but when I act as such he gets hurt. I sighed and looked away, pulling my arms around myself.

"No, not of you. I don't think I could be." I smiled at him on the last part, but his eyes held no room for humor. I walked around the table separating us and came toward him until I was right in front of him. He looked down at me, his expression so that I couldn't help but bring my hands to cup his face. "I am not afraid of you, Loki, but of what you _do_. _That _is what scares me."

"You said you could never be scared" He said, almost like an accusing child.

"Things are different now." I said, thinking of him controlling me, of when I broke in the hallway outside. The second the words fell out of my mouth his eyes hardened into cold stone, blocking me out completely. His jaw set under my hands and his whole body stiffened, his shoulders thrown back even more.

"Very well then. Go to your room."

"Loki, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Go to your room."

"Please, listen to me-"

"Your room, Rosanna."

"No."

"No?" His eyes blazed, the fire melting away his icy wall keeping me out.

"No." And I couldn't take it any longer. With total disregard for how awful of a time it was and for what he had just put me through, I pushed myself up onto the tips of my toes and kissed him hard on the mouth, wrapping my arms around his neck. He put his hands on my hips trying to push me away but I wouldn't let go, not for anything. His lips tasted of honey and his smell was intoxicating, as ever. I pulled my mouth back a bit to lessen the pressure, trying to get him to respond in the way I wanted, the way I _needed_. My lips brushed feather light over his and pulled his bottom lip in between mine before he pulled his mouth away. He was still close though, my lips barely touching his.

"Please." I whispered, begging him to let me in. I shivered, afraid he wouldn't. _There's so much fear now._

And he responded.

One hand gripped the back of my neck to push my lips to his and his other hand in between my waist and the small of my back, both helping steady and lift me to him and press me against him. His kiss was not sweet like I had dreamed but desperate, searching, starving… Starving for me. It surprised me.

He ran his tongue over my lips as if asking for entrance, then plunged into my mouth not caring at all. I moaned in surprise, my knees buckling under me as he ran his hand over my ass at the same time, feeling and squeezing. His other hand was in my hair running his fingers through the curly strands, slightly tugging every now and then with a smile on his lips in the kiss every time.

I settled back down from the tips of my toes with a smile upon my lips. "I'm trusting you haven't fucked a horse." I said, thinking of the legend of Slepneir.

"No," his laugh rumbled in his chest against mine. "No Rosanna, I have not _had_ a horse."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello everyone! This one is quite short and filled with fluffy fluff. I just wanted to get it out of the way and go onto more important matters like **_**THE PLOT _starting in the next chapter! And _yes _there _is _a plot! Amazing, right? Well hope this short update keeps you going until I post the next one! xx_**

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After Loki stopped laughing his eyes grew more serious and filled with lust. The intensity of his gaze made me blush and that in turn made him smirk. His hands flew down to my hips. He turned us around and then lifted me up onto the table. My legs parted immediately and he pushed into the gap, pressed flush against each other again. He looked down at me for a moment before pressing his sweet lips against mine again. His tongue mingled with my own and he some how was able to smile into the kiss. I pulled back and pressed my forehead against his, the both of us breathing hard. I kept my eyes shut, afraid if I opened them that it would all be a dream and I would be back to my awful _normal _life.

"What does this mean?" I whispered. Loki gave a sigh and tried to pull away from me but I wouldn't allow it; I wrapped my legs around his waist. I moved my hands from around his neck down to his chest. His clothing melted under my hands and turned into some sort of medieval style clothing-an emerald green tunic shirt and black trousers. I was compelled to ask again what all of this meant and if ultimately my heart was going to be broken.

"I don't know." At least he was honest, as much of a pun as that sounds. He placed one more soft kiss to my lips and pulled away. I opened my eyes and took in his flushed face. It filled with worry.

"I don't want to hurt again, Loki. I'm tired of hurting."

He looked at me seriously, his eyes filled with promise. "Mark my words, Rosanna. I see the hurt in your eyes myself, I saw it from first glance but I will spend eternity to diminish it. I will not fail you. Do not fear for I will protect you with my own life. I would rather die than see you in pain."

"Such strong words for only knowing me for a couple of days."

He gave me a look. "You also said words of great importance. How is it that mine are of lesser value?"

"Well, I can only say that 'I know no ways to mince it in love but to directly to say that I love you.' I just am not used to people caring for me. It seems too good to be true. It may take some time for me to adjust."

"I can wait eternity." He grinned.

"Well I cannot." _Damn. _He stopped smiling and it was entirely my fault. He remedied it.

"Shh, love. Can we not just stay here like this for a little while?" I loved the idea of just forgetting the rest of the world, but practicality won me over.

"But what happens when we have to go _back _to reality?"

"Then, as you Midguardians say, 'we shall cross that bridge when we come to it.'" Oh he looked so desperate for me to say yes.

How could I say no?

"Sure." I said begrudgingly, and Loki's lips crashed down on mine, kissing me fiercely, hungrily. I loved every bit of it. He took my bottom lip between his and sucked on it gently. I moaned into his mouth. It seemed to push him over the edge; he pulled me into his arms before setting me down, pulling on my hand and taking me to the bedroom. I was out of breath by the time we got there not only from his fast pace but also from his searing kisses. He closed the door behind us and turned on me with fire in his eyes.

"Anyone who has caused tears to fall from your beautiful eyes, I will find them. Anyone who has caused you harm, emotionally or physically, I will hunt them down. Any man who has pleasured you, loved you, fawned over you, I will make you forget them."

"Okay." It was all I could muster. There were very few people in my life I knew would fight for me so fiercely; Uncle Phil, Uncle Nick, and Daniel. My Daddy would have and did when he was alive. I had not felt so _safe _in years as I did there in Loki's mere presence. He looked like he was going to kiss me but I paid no mind; I wrapped my arms around in him in a tight hug and buried my face in his chest. _Pine. _He smelled like the woods behind my childhood home. It was _so comforting_. Yes, I loved him. It did not matter that he did not bluntly _say _he felt the same; his words of protection let me know he felt something at least akin to it.

After a minute of just breathing him in and listening to his steady heartbeat, he let out a breath he must have been holding and wrapped his arms around me holding me as tightly as I was him.

"What have you done to me?" He whispered.

"Nothing you haven't done to me." We stayed there just innocently holding each other for a while, his head eventually fell to my hair and I think he was smelling it, but not in a weird way.

"No man has ever shared my bed, Loki." I blurted out and blushed, hard. I looked up and saw him almost grin, at my expense or that I was a virgin I couldn't tell. "Well, you have but that was only sleeping." His grin widened. I suddenly felt tired with the whole day wearing on me. I reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Do you think we could just lay for a while, go to sleep?"

"Nothing would make me happier." He lifted me into his arms and set me on the bed in the center. He slipped off his shoes and laid beside me, bringing his arms around me and holding me from behind. I slowly drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hello everyone! Gods, it feels like I'm always apologizing for being so **_**_inconsistant. I truly am sorry for that. But as you can see this is an extra long chapter so I hope you can see why it took so long to get it out. Hope you like it! More will be coming soon!_**

* * *

I woke up in Loki's arms. My arms were wrapped around his middle and one leg was kicked over him and held tight around his waist. His arms were around me, holding me closer, burring my head in chis chest. I would expect to be warm but instead I was cool. It was Loki, where the coolness was coming from, and I was about to over think it but I stopped myself. _He'll tell you in his own time. Let him be, sweetie. _Despite it being absurdly _weird, _I settled closer since I felt closer in mind to him. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He was still asleep despite my wiggling and quiet mummers. I smiled; there was a little bit of hair in his face.

He looked so incredibly peaceful, like a huge weight was lifted off his mind. The wrinkles on his forehead were smoothed and his lips were almost in a smile… But then he went rigid in my arms. His whole face contorted in pain. I untangled my legs from his and pulled myself higher, bringing my face level to his. I ran my fingers over his face, his arms, and his chest to try and softly wake him up, but it didn't work. I started to shake him, saying his name over and over.

"Loki! Loki! Wake up! Please, wake up! Loki!" It took five minutes of this until he finally came to; shooting strait up, his eyes wild, a thin sheen of sweat covering his body, his whole form shaking. He stared right into my eyes, looking so deeply I felt over exposed. I sat completely still; I didn't want to make any sudden movement and scare him. "Loki…" I breathed, not even noticing I did. _Oh, Loki, how broken you are. Please, oh please, let me help you, let me fix you. You can do the same for me. We can save each other. I love you. Please…_

"Oh Rosanna!" He groaned sounding as if in great pain, and how he was shaking I suspected he _was_. He grasped me by my upper arms and pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms tight around me and squeezing, reminding me of an anaconda. I gasped for air but Loki took no notice. He stroked my hair and rocked back and forth.

"I will not let them hurt you, I will not let them hurt you, I will _not _let them hurt you." He sobbed into my shoulder, but I felt no tears sink through my shirt. His voice turned hard, menacing, promising. "They will not _touch _you. I will keep you safe, I swear this to you. If they even _look _at you, oh, _they_ will know what true pain feels like, oh yes."

Even though his tone scared me slightly, somehow I felt so safe, so protected. Not out of obligation but out of love. I mean, you feel safe when a police officer is in the premises, but that is superficial; he gets paid to keep the peace. When you're with a parent, a sibling, a loved one, you feel safe too, but differently. Love gives you that sweet embrace, not a government paycheck. So I gave him love back in the best way I knew how.

"I believe you. And though I am a mere child next to you, harmless to the eye, I will do all that is within my power to protect you also." He scoffed. It hurt.

"You cannot protect _me_." He said pompously. He stopped and thought for a second. "Besides, I fear it is to late to stop this madness. It will be the end of me."

"It is never too late when you are alive." I grasped at his hand.

"I have no choice." He pushed me away like a petulant child, his lower lip jutting out slightly. Even then he looked like a sculpture of a Greek god come to life.

_Honey, he's from Norse mythology. Get your imaginary deities and their origins strait._

"You have no choice? What bullshit. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don't have to do anything except _die_, well, I guess you're excluded form that, excuse me." He shook his head at me like I was stupid and couldn't understand the simplest truth about life, even though I just told it to him. Anger flashed through me, white hot. Loki's eyes widened in surprise and pushed back away from me, his back hitting the pillows and the wall. I clenched my jaw and looked away, begging myself not to lash out.

After a while, I felt Loki's fingers brush through my hair. "I am sorry, Rosanna. Truly. I feel as though I keep jeopardizing your trust."

"Loki," I sighed, "I forgive you. But you just can't treat me like a child because of our age difference or discriminate against me because of my gender. You cannot look down on me because of my birthplace, or 'realm' in this situation. I cannot help any of this. They are out of my control. And besides, I have worked far too hard all my life to not be treated this way. I _refuse_ to. It is a deal breaker, Loki, and it is one that will always be there. It is not that hard to treat someone with respect."

Loki looked solemn. "A deal breaker?" My patience wore thin.

"For gods sakes, Loki, use context clues. A deal breaker means that if you don't do something you both agreed on or something implied in the relationship by one person, in this instance respect me, I'm gone. Whatever this," I gestured between us, "is, will crumble to dust. There will _be_ no 'whatever this is.'"

I barely finished when Loki burst out. "Fine, yes, as you wish. I will accept any terms you set gladly, I will do _anything. _Just stay with me, please. Do not leave me as they did."

His forwardness and desperation of his feelings shocked me. He looked almost afraid and I swear his hand was shaking. I covered it with mine then laced our fingers together, staring into his eyes. I brought his palm to my lips.

"I will be yours, you will be mine." I whispered against his palm. It was simple, a promise I intended to keep as long as he did.

"I-I will be yours, _you_ will be mine." He stared at me, looking mesmerized, under a trance almost. I could tell the first part was difficult for him to say but he ended it passionately.

I tested him. "I will protect you, you will protect me." Loki smiled; he knew what I was doing.

He leaned forward bringing his face closer to mine. He stroked my face with his fingertips. My breath became shallow. "I will protect you, you will protect me." _Passed. _Loki kissed me interrupting my thoughts. The kiss was soft, loving, and full of longing. He touched me as if I was made of china he did not wish to break. He pulled away suddenly, bringing my face in his hands. His lips were particularly red. It made me smile and smirk almost all at once. _I did that._

"Please do not leave me." He pleaded. He was shaking again.

"I won't, I won't." I promised. I pulled him down to me, letting his head fall to my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him as he shook, silently, tearlessly sobbing. I wanted to take all of his pain away… Physical and mental. His pain hurt me too. I guess that's what love is.

When I was five, I fell out of a huge oak tree in our back yard, I was trying to make a hide away for myself; you see, I had just read "Bridge to Terabithia". I fell some ways down and landed on my arm. I broke it in three places. I didn't wince, I didn't cry, I just went to my Daddy in his big, executive office with the bones sticking out of my arm. He freaked and rushed me to the hospital and never let go of my hand. _He _winced and squeezed my hand over and over. I remember asking him if he was hurt too and if so, telling him we were in just the place to be. He laughed and said not the way I thought; that he was hurting _for _me. I didn't understand then and as I grew older, I _thought _I knew what he was talking about that day only by watching great falls and things of the sort on YouTube, but I was wrong. Now I truly understood.

I fell back onto the pillows, stretching out once more. Loki molded with me, this time _him _clinging to _me_. I laid there with him, one arm around him and another stroking his hair, until we both fell asleep once more.

oOo

I woke up to a tickling on my throat. It was Loki, of course. He was kissing my neck in a teasing way. I squirmed a bit biting my lip, almost wanting him to stop but loving it all the same. My hand reached up into his hair but I instantly pulled back, rubbing my fingers together.

"Uh… Loki?"

"Mmm?" Loki murmured from his place on my neck. I wanted to moan but I held it in.

"Do you know how to use a shower?" He sighed against my neck and pulled away from me, pouting a bit.

"A shower?" He asked, exasperated

"Yes, a shower." I laughed. I rolled over him to the edge of the bed and hopped off, grabbing his hand and pulling him after me. I led him to the bathroom and opened the shower curtain.

"Now you do take some form of a bath where you're from, right? You fill a tub with water and wash in it?"

"Yes, Rosanna, we have bathes on Asgard." He seemed a little offended.

"I wasn't sure, I didn't want to presume. Now, most people prefer using showers, that thing up there," I pointed up to the showerhead on the wall. "It's like bathing in the rain, except there's a lot more water and it comes down harder. It's quite an enjoyable experience. You turn it on like this," I turned the nozzles indicating which one was hot and which one was cold, "Hot water, cold water," water splashed out of the tub nozzle, "and then you turn this one to turn on the showerhead." Water splashed out of it. I looked at Loki to see his intrigued face. "You just stand up and wash yourself. Got it?"

"What do you mean?" Loki cocked his head to the side at me. He was picking up my habit. _Damn he looks cute when he does that. I probably look like a bird._

"Loki, darling, not to be rude but you really need a shower." Instead of getting mad as I had expected Loki threw his head back and laughed.

"Yes I guess you are right, love. I have been using only magic to cleanse myself. I will try your shower."

I smiled to myself. "Okay… Well you know where to find me." I jerked my thumb behind me towards the door awkwardly and spun on my heals to walk out. Loki grabbed me by the waist and pulled me flush against his back.

"Don't you want to join me, love?" He murmured into my ear. I went weak at the knees. _Oh this man – god – ah whatever – is _good_. So good._

"N-n-no, I think I'll j-just go outside." I skittered through the door and shut it, probably harder than I should have. Damn my insecurities. _I could have had fun in there._

After about thirty minutes Loki was back out and in his metal and leather weird-as-hell-but-still-pretty-damn-sexy get up. He smirked at me and I just _knew _he knew I had been imagining him in there. I flushed as red as any person can. He held his arm out for me to take and we left the room to the hallway. It struck me that all we ever seemed to be doing was either eating or sleeping. I mean, you don't see me complaining but I'm was starting to get seriously worried.

It all came to a crescendo.

"Sir! I need to speak with you, please!" _I know that voice… _I turned.

"Clint," I breathed. I instinctively reached out to him. His eyes were that bright blue everyone under Loki's control has. I look closely, trying, begging myself to see that its just contact lenses and he's here to "rescue" me, but they're almost glowing. Clint _was_ under Loki's control.

"You know Agent Barton, Rosanna?" Loki asks, astonished. Too shocked to respond, I just stood there with my mouth gaping open.

"Yes, Miss Dunham and I know each other. Have you been enlightened as well, Rosie?" Clint turned to me with the strangest, most un-Clint like smile on his face.

"Oh, Clint!" I closed the distance between us and enveloped him in a tight hug, trying to reassure him or me, of what I don't know. Clint was stiff in my arms and after a moment I just let go, knowing I had lost that battle. I stepped away from him and back to Loki's side.

"If you both will excuse me, I have some work to do. I will talk to you later, sir." Clint left, flustered and rubbing his head as if he had a headache. It struck me that he didn't tell Loki whatever news he was in such a hurry to tell him.

"What did you do to him?" I asked Loki in horror, even though I knew.

"The same thing I did to you, Rosanna." He looked sad. "I am so sorry to have hurt one of your friends."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're kind of planning to hurt my whole planet here, Loki. How, I'm afraid to ask. I think we should be more concerned with the majority before we get to the nitty-gritty shit you have going on here."

Loki looked down and took my hand, leading me to the dining room. So introverted, he didn't even gesture for me to sit or offer me any refreshment. He just sat down staring at his hands in his lap. I half sat on the table in front of him.

"Loki… You can't do this. Whatever you're planning to do. Please. I'm begging you on behalf of my people. Yes, we're screwed up, but isn't everyone? We don't need you to rule us, but thanks for the sediment. Please. Think of all the lives you would ruin, the lives you would _end_. Please…" I put my hand over his.

"I have no choice, Rosanna. There are… a people, the Chautari. We have an agreement that I will help them take over this planet then I will rule it. Rosanna… They will kill me if I do not." He looked up into my eyes and there was plain fear there. Fear that I saw when I woke him from his dream.

"Your nightmare was about them, wasn't it?"

"It was no mere nightmare. They called to me asking me to communicate with them and I did. They threatened me, as they usually do, and gave me a taste of 'true pain'." He scowled and a flash of pain went through his eyes. _They're able to hurt him even here…_

"We can protect you here! We can contact your family! Somehow. I'm sure Thor will come to get you."

"How are you aware-"

"Don't even ask. It is too long of a story to tell. Lets just say I have my fingers in all the pies, shall we?" I wince, hoping to bypass this, for now at the very least. Loki stared at me blatantly but shook his head. I sighed. _Thank the gods, no need to get into that._

"Please Loki… I'm sure Uncle Ni-um, Fury, you probably met him when you stole his Tesseract, big, black, eye patch, expression goes along with his name, yeah?" Loki just looked at me confused. I continued anyway. "Has his little "Avengers" plan working out as we speak and trust me, I don't think anyone wants to mess with them, god or not." The bastard had the audacity to laugh.

"You think those mere creatures could defeat me?"

"Well… Yes." I said simply. He looked at me for a second as if remembering some memory deep in his psyche but it was gone in a flash.

"I have an army." He said audaciously.

"Well, we have a whole planet I'm sure that wants to fight for itself at our disposal, and we have some real freaks, and I say that in the best way possible, at that."

"The Chautari's weapons are far more effective than yours."

"We have the Hulk."

"That large, green mutant of a man?" I almost slapped him.

"That 'mutant' is an actual man, thank you, and he could kick your arse without breaking a sweat." The bastard laughed again.

"It is nothing more than a dull creature." _Pick your battles, pick your battles, pick your battles. _I chanted over and over to myself.

"We have Iron Man." I smirked, thinking of mister Tony Stark. Gods, I loved and hated that man all at the same time and I've never even had the privilege of meeting the bastard-ass.

"Yes, I have met him." Loki frowned, back deep into thought. He didn't even try to insult him. _Ha. Got you there, you melodramatic arse._

I tried a different approach. I leaned over and took his hands in mine, bringing his head up to look at me. "Loki, you must believe me, I am more powerful than you think. I can protect you, hide you away, keep you safe. You don't have to do this, please."

"My brother is here." _Woah. Some way to change a subject. _I played along.

"He is?"

"Yes." Loki's brow crumbled together to create a perfect little V. "I talked to him. I… I think he loves me in one moment and just wishes me back to Asgard but then he turns on me and… And…" Loki pulled his hands away from mine

"And?" I prompted.

"And… I don't know. He is different. Harder. I have-I have hurt him. I have made him this way." Loki put his head in his hands, shaking but not crying. "My brother." He mumbled over and over.

"Let us help you." I sank down to my knees and pulled his hands away, catching the tears that fell down his face with my thumbs and brushed them away.

"The attack starts tomorrow." He said with true remorse, his face filled with shame. "I cannot stop it. Everything is already set in motion."

I wiped my face of all traces of fear. There was no time for letting emotions get into the way. "Your brother asked you to repent, or something along those lines, correct?"

"Yes. He asked me to 'give up this foolish dream' and to give up the Tesseract." He looked at me warily. _Good. Beware of what's coming. Better off knowing what I can do when I set my mind to it now rather than later._

"Yes, well, why don't you? I'm sure we can figure out some way to-"

"If I do not open the Tesseract, opening the portal from their world to yours, they will invade my mind and take control of my staff you have seen and torture me. There is a set time for which it will begin. They will know."

"Is there any way of blocking your mind from them?" I asked, thinking of occlumency from Harry Potter.

"If I were on Asgard and had potion ingredients and other sorceress at my disposal, yes, but here, no."

I sighed. _Damn. _"How about this-let them in through the portal, but once you see your brother, catch him and pull him aside. Explain to him your change of heart."

It was his turn to sigh. "He will not believe me, Rosanna. I am the God of Lies, remember?"

"Maybe not at first, but if you make yourself be heard he will. Be completely transparent with him. If he truly loves you, he will see your distress and he will believe you."

"What if he doesn't?" His eyes were wide and full of worry almost like a child.

"Then bring him to me and I'll talk to him, damn it!" I said it with gusto but Loki laughed, as if it was a joke.

"I'm not kidding, Loki! Bring him to me! Maybe that will-"

"No." He went from gleeful and laughing to serious and dangerous as quickly as the strike of a snake. "No, you will be safe while this is taking place. I will not have you in harms way."

I laughed this time. "I am not a child! You cannot control me." He gave me a look as if to remind me of what he could do with his staff but I brushed it off. "You're not going to do that again. You saw what it did to me. I trust you."

"You are the only one to believe me when I tell the truth. The God of Lies…" He scoffed then looked at me earnestly. "You are the one who believes in me."

"It is foolish of me, not kindness. Don't get the two mixed up." I grumbled.

"It is love, Rosanna." He smiled. It was romantic. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Foolishness and love are one and the same thing." He smirked.

"I was hoping you wouldn't realize that."

"It is no realization, Loki, just a small fact of life that one must try and avoid love at all costs to survive in business and search for it to survive life itself."

"I could not agree more."

Smirking he lifted me up into his lap. I wrapped my arms around him and we sat there for a while, forgetting if only for a moment the chaos that raged on outside.

There was a knock on the door. "Sir." It was Dr. Selvig, from when I woke up from passing out.

"Yes?" Loki barely murmured from his spot where his face nestled in my neck.

"We are ready to go, sir. We are just waiting for you."

"Give me ten minutes." I felt Loki stretch out from under me.

"Wait." A flash of recognition went through my mind. "Sir, I mean, Dr. Selvig, were you previously employed by S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Yes ma'am," he smiled, "Ms. Dunham, you helped fund my research on the Tesseract and further exploration in space and mythology's credence. I believe you were more enthused with the mythology part than the Tesseract research; you did not even come into my lab with the rest of the board members."

"Well its nice to finally meet you then, I guess." I whispered. He took that as his cue to leave and did so quickly.

"Fund his research?" Loki asked.

"Again, long story. I'd rather not get into it." I climbed out of Loki's lap and sat on the table in front of him. "What do we need ten minutes for?"

Loki looked down at his hands in his lap, turning a cute bright pink you would not expect from a God of Mischief. I playfully tapped his knee with my swinging foot. "Come on. Out with it."

He looked up at me with hesitation. "I-I think your plan best, Rosanna, to let the Chautari in and find Thor to explain. No, you will not be apart of it." He quickly cut me off before I could ask if I would help explain. "I want you to be in the safest place possible, and that is not anywhere near where Thor and I will be. But Rosanna, I have done crimes against my family. I let Frost Giants into Asgard on the day Thor was to be crowned king, only to interrupt the ceremony, mind you. And," he waved his hand. "It got carried away from there. I saw a chance to keep him from getting the crown, I took it. I did not expect the consequences. But that is as far as my crimes go. I let the Frost Giant's king in to Asgard to supposedly kill my father, but I killed _him_. I was going to kill him anyway, but I thought it would be a good way to earn my peoples trust." He spat the word "peoples" out like it was poison. "Thor came back and 'saved the day.' No one recognized I saved my father. They thought it was wrong for me to try and kill all of the Frost Giants."

"Well, Loki, it is a good rule of thumb not to kill an entire race."

Loki grinned but without happiness, only malice. "I would not have killed all Frost Giants with that one act. I fought with my brother. My father woke from his Odin's sleep-I will explain in depth later-and I saw there was no place for me there in Asgard. I tried to end my life by falling off the edge of our world, so to speak. As you can see, it did not work." I leaped into his arms then, hugging him tightly to me. I understood how he felt to a point, that longing for death.

"Well, here I am. That is my story." He said gruffly. "But, as you can see, Thor will most likely take me into custody for my crimes there and for what I have done here. He will take me first and ask questions later. He will take me back to Asgard, Rosanna." It hit me then what he was getting at. I hadn't thought even for a moment that we were from completely separate _worlds _and that he ever had to go. We were in our own little bubble for the past however many days it had been and now the bubble was being popped.

"Oh." That is all I said. I wasn't sure how he expected me to react or what he thought I would do. Honestly, I would travel worlds to be with him but I was sure he didn't want a little tag along puppy at his heal all the time.

"Rosanna," I could feel the goodbye coming on like a freight train. I squashed every emotion down and kept my face strait. _I told you Loki I don't want to hurt anymore. _"I-I-I feel things for you I have never felt for another." _Oh. _"And I have never had trouble forming my words but now." He waved his hand around again. "You leave me speechless, and I have to watch my footing with you, I never know if I am saying the right thing and it is _exhilarating_. I have never had that, someone I had to be myself and watch myself around. Rosanna, I don't want to loose that." Loki then lifted me up from where I was still holding on to him and sat me on the table. He kneeled down in front of me, his head barely passing my knees as he looked up at me. He took my breath away. "I know you have only known me for mere days but please, what I say is true. I can only hope what we have is as special to you as it is for me. Please, come to Asgard with me. I would stay-"

"Yes." My answer came out in a rush, cutting off whatever he was about to say. I felt as though I was turning into a stupid bimbo you would see in the movies but I could not bring myself to care. I felt _alive _again, and I _couldn't _loose that. Loki's face broke out into a grin, his eyes shining at me like stars in the night sky.

"I disgrace Odin, Thor, and Asgard. I do not think I have any family or home to return to. And yet, with you my darling, I belong. You make me feel whole. You _make me _whole." Loki whispered, almost reverently. He kissed my hand and stood. "Come, my love. We must travel to where the battle will take place." A heavy weight dropped in my stomach, reminding me of reality.

I followed him mindlessly to our room where he got a bag and collected my things. I looked at the room one last time knowing I would remember it for the rest of my life, fondly. Loki lead me through the corridors to the lift. It was then that I spoke.

"Loki, I… I do not believe I am… How can I put this? _Enough_ for you or your world." I said it looking away from him, not wanting him to persuade me otherwise. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the metal of the lift doors and saw ugly, twisting scars peaking out from under my shirt that was riding up and from my wrist. I pulled down the shirt and the sleeve of my jacket hastily.

"What ever do you mean?" He honestly looked confused. Either he was very much smitten with who he thought I was or he _was _a God at lying.

"For christ's sake, you're a _God!_ How can I compete with that?!"

"You don't have to compete, Rosanna." Loki said, amused.

"Yes I do! A bloody _prince _to take it even further! Loki, there is no way in hell I could manage to compare to the women where you're from."

"The women from where I am from hold no interest for me. They are stupid and crave only power through title or money they do not care which. They fall in love with appearances and superficial things." I could see the contrast already.

"But isn't whatever this is superficial?" I looked down again. He put his hand under my chin and forced me to look up at him.

"Rosanna, when I saw you staring at me walking down the stairs in Germany, I saw attraction, I would go so far as to say arousal." He smirked and I on cue blushed. "It was quickly replaced by anger-not horror when I smashed the man's head with my staff."

"My body guard." I grumbled.

"Oh." He was at a loss for words for a moment. "I am terribly sorry. But my point is that no maiden of Asgard would react with anger to an attack, well, one would but she is a warrior." He grimaced at the thought of her.

"Sif?" I asked.

"How did you know?"

"I have studied mythology quite extensively."

"I see…" He nodded. The lift then got to our floor and we got in. Loki pressed the button to the top floor. "Is there any other ways you believe yourself to be any less than the women of Asgard?"

"I am sure they are quite beautiful. They are goddesses…" I murmured, thinking of how both Loki and his brother were extremely attractive in their own ways.

He laughed. "You worry that you are not pretty enough! Well, I have laid eyes on many fair women upon my travels. But you, my dear, are by far the most beautiful of all women in the nine realms. I picked you out of the crowd. You shown out of all of them. Throw away all of your worries and take my hand and I will lead you to Asgard. There, I promise to indulge you with all your precious heart's desires."

"Loki, you should know I do not long for things. I long for you."

"Then I am yours."

The rest of the ride was silent as was the walk out of it on to the field we got out in. From there we boarded a sleek, black plane that I saw my company's logo on. _More stolen goods from S.H.I.E.L.D. Lovely. _But it didn't matter. Loki took me to a room in the back of the plane where there was a bed that took up almost all of the room and an adjoining bathroom. I tugged on Loki's hand and took him to the bed.

"Come, lay down with me for the ride. Lets just forget for however long the journey will last." Loki dropped the bag and shut the door, his eyes on me. He kicked off his shoes and came to lay down beside me. I did the same with my shoes and pulled him closer to the middle of the bed. I scooted up the bed and held my arm open to him. "Here, let me hold you." Loki got closer and rested his head on my chest. I swear I saw a smirk on his face, but for some reason I didn't care. If it were anyone else I would have. He pulled me into his arms and nestled closer to me and I did him. I stroked his hair in time with his steady breathing the whole flight. I don't believe either of us actually fell asleep, and it was wonderful to just be with each other before everything would inevitably fall apart.


	13. Chapter 13

When we landed Loki and I got off the plane as solemnly as we got on. We were immediately picked up by a helicopter and flown into the heart of New York. No matter how old I got, I always got the urge to press my face to the window like a five year old on these kinds of flight trips, but not this time. I could see my penthouse, my building but that didn't even excite me. And when I figured out where we were headed, I was absolutely floored.

"Are you _mad?! _Going to Stark Tower is fucking _suicide! _The man's going to kill you on sight!"

Loki laughed. "That is one of the many reasons I chose this location, my love. It shall get his attention, which in turn will get my brother's." I could see the lure; he probably needed pure energy, something Stark had in abundance for his tower, for the Tesseract and a lot of it. Also, it was in the core of the city – everyone could get out as no exits were blocked _and_ it drew a lot of attention. Like a stage.

I tried to ignore how my heart skipped a beat when he said 'my love'.

The helicopter landed smoothly on some kind of landing hanging off the side of the tower and there was a flurry of action. Some of the controlled ran out of the helicopter, opening up Stark Tower by the side panel. Well, at least _trying _to. Others ran past Loki and myself to the back. Loki held out his hand and unconsciously I took it. He lead me out of the helicopter like we were a couple at a grand ball. For a moment, I got caught up in a fantasy…

Loki and I were at the top of the stairs at Buckingham Palace. A man to our right announced our names to the other attendants with a flourish while a small group of string players started my entrance song, "Kiss the Rain". "Lady Rosanna Dunham of England accompanied by Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard."

I looked up at him and saw him smirking down at the people staring up at us. He caught my gaze and gave me a wink, his smirk becoming more apparent. We started our descent down the stairs. I looked down to see Daniel staring, his grandmother and his brother equally in awe. I could understand; Loki was in an Armani three-piece tux with his hair slicked back as it usually was. His cufflinks were silver holding an emerald catching the light. He looked quite simply exquisite. I paled in comparison. My hair cascaded out of an up-do. I was in a Grecian style dress the same color as Loki's emeralds, long and flowing. I was sure if I spun it would flow out into more than a full circle of material. There was a cinching just under my breasts and the neck went strait across my throat to where the material met from front to back at a one shoulder. My arms were bare, not even a hit of makeup to cover the scars that covered my left arm. For once, I was not concerned with anyone seeing them. Not even Loki.

Seeing Loki being handed his scepter shook me right out of my fantasy.

Now on Stark Tower's platform, I jerked my arm away, wanting to get as far away from that _thing _he was holding as possible. I locked eyes with him, backing away slowly. His eyes were sad again. I couldn't bare to look into them for long, knowing I had put that look there.

I turned. The group was still working on the keypad to the left of a wall of windows covering the tower. I got closer, studying Stark's security system. "Having a bit of trouble?" I laughed, making the group, Clint being one of them, to turn and glare at me.

Only a second after I spoke, a red light flashed on and grazed over us; we were being scanned. It scanned over us up and down once, twice, three times before it got smaller in width and trained only on me. I looked to Loki out of the corner of my eye, silently asking him why _me _and not _him_. His eyes held no answers. It took what felt like minutes for the scanning to stop and once it did, the glass slid open to show a fully equipped bar directly in front of us and a huge sitting area to the right. Half of the walls were glass so you could see the city below. I was the first one to make a move and was the brave one to finally step in. _Pansies._

I almost expected the glass to close behind me but it didn't. Clint entered after me as safely as did the rest of the group as they felt safe. I saw a computer monitor at the end of the bar and dashed to it, Loki standing just outside the entry way. He stared at me, worry plainly writ on his face. Once at the computer, I held a hand up to Clint and his team while the other searched for an "on" button. Clint stayed back, but he glared at me.

"Sir, she may be trying to escape."

"She is not." Loki replied, monotone.

"But sir-"

"She is NOT! Do _NOT_ interfere with her work, do you _understand_?" Loki's rage cut loose, but I could see he was afraid Clint was right.

I dropped my hand now sure Clint wouldn't come at me and go Hawkeye on my ass. Letting out a huff, I slammed my other hand on the counter giving up on an "on" button. I looked to Loki and held his stare for a moment before mouthing '_Trust. Trust in me._' Finding my voice, I called to him. "Stay there. There is no telling what kind of security system Stark has JARVIS using." I turned my eyes from him and glared at the screen, willing it to turn on. Clint and his team looked from Loki to me, Loki looking at me like a puppy, me glaring at the screen like it killed my mother. Apparently, my patience was wearing thin like Loki's.

"TURN _ON_, DAMN IT!"

And the screen flickered on.

"Bloody hell, if I knew that'd work, I would have done it a lot sooner." I muttered. The background was the Stark Enterprises symbol. I scoffed. _Egotistical billionaire._

_Well, you _are _in a 50+-story building with his name flashing on the front. What do you expect?_

I stretched my fingers, preparing for some serious hacking, when words started appearing on the screen. in the corner like an IM.

**Welcome Miss Rosanna Dunham.**

It took a second for me to get my wits together to respond.

**Thank you. **I typed. **Please keep the glass open.**

**Of course. **I assumed, JARVIS, replied. **Is there anything else you need? Do you require medical attention?**

It took me another moment to process this and realize what it meant; I _was _supposedly 'kidnapped'. I quickly responded.

**NO. I am safe. I am sure Mr. Stark has been informed of our position and is on his way, but PLEASE implore him, BEG him if you must, to turn around and send Loki's brother, Thor, instead. (I assume he is with Mr. Stark working with S.H.I.E.L.D.) **I shuddered; this was too Tom Riddle's diary for me.

JARVIS took a moment to reply this time. **Mr. Stark refuses, arguing that it is his own home, not Mr. Thor's.**

I sighed heavily. _Just like an egotistical idiot. Thinks its all about him. _My reply was typed as fast as lightening. **Please tell him we may be able to avoid a fight and the destruction of his building if he so chooses to do as I ask. We need peace, is that not what he boasted of in his Expo? History will already look upon him as a great hero, let Thor take this one without a glorious battle. Please. I am most certain it will lessen the bloodshed.**

JARVIS took even longer to reply this time.

**Mr. Stark will be five blocks away at the Starbucks there and will be notified of all movement. Mr. Thor is on his way and will arrive approximately 7 minutes and 39 seconds.**

I let out a sigh of relief. **Please thank Mr. Stark for his compromise on my behalf and send word to Mr. Fury that I am being kept safe by Loki and not to worry. Please do not blast Loki when he enters the building. It ticks him off.** I waved Loki over and quickly shut off the screen with a simple, muttered "off". Loki was by my side before I could say another word. I looked up at him and wrapped my arms around him, realization that he was _really _about to go off to fight. He returned my embrace, burying his face in my curls.

"Thor will be here very soon." I whispered, hoping he didn't hear so I wouldn't be the one to break the moment. But, of course, he heard.

"Where is the safest room here?" He looked to the ceiling as if asking god. His voice boomed throughout the room like thunder, very unlike him.

Right before I had a chance to laugh at him, walls to the far left of our embracing figures wooshed open like the glass did. _So original Star Trek. _Loki all but jerked away from my grasp and took hold of my upper arm. He almost picked me up from the way he was leading me to the open room.

The room was a bedroom with a huge bed dead center that made me think of what Stark got up to on a double Queen with his whores, or now his lovely Ms, Pepper. I repressed a shudder. I have to admit, I had been rooting for her all along, although she could do much better. _Ah well. You can't help who you fall in love with. Besides, you can't judge _anyone _in love now._

_Damn._

Loki sat me down on the edge of the bed and knelt down in from of me. "Rosanna, my brother will be swift so I must be also." He took a deep breath and looked deep into my eyes, holding my shaking hands. "I know we have known one another for all too short a time, but I love you. I swear to you, I will keep you safe. Please, tell me you love me. Tell me you care for me as I do you and I will be able to do what I must." His hands started to shake as much as my own were. I grasped them tighter.

"I love you, Loki. Please, believe me." Loki still shook, but it seemed a weight had been lifted off of him.

"I do my love." I brought up a hand to cup his face. He leaned into my hand. "And you shall follow me to Asgard?" He whispered.

"Yes." He turned his face to kiss my palm and got to his feet.

"You are the only one to believe me when I tell the truth. The God of Lies…" He scoffed then looked at me earnestly. "You are the one who believes me."

"It is foolish of me, not kindness. Don't get the two mixed up." I grumbled.

"It is love, Rosanna." He smiled. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Foolishness and love are one and the same thing." He smirked.

"I was hoping you wouldn't realize that."

"It is no realization, Loki, just a small fact of life that one must try and avoid love at all costs to survive in business and search for it to survive life itself."

"I could not agree more." He smiled at me for a moment, seeming content just to gaze at me. "Where would the control for the walls be located?" I looked at him strangely. _Well he changed moods quickly._

"Over there is my best guess." I pointed. "The box on the wall." Loki lifted his hand in the air and his staff came flying to it. He caught it in mid air, a burst of light flying out of it the moment he caught it. The little control box was now completely burned. He turned to me again and bended down, kissing me hard and quickly.

"Forgive me, but I must keep you safe. I will come and find you after this is over." He dashed out of the room.

"Wait, Loki-LOKI-!" I tried to call after him, but he was already closing the walls on the other side. I stared at the wall for a moment and laughed.

"JARVIS?" I called out in the empty room.

"Yes, Ms. Dunham?" A robotic voice sounded over my head. I smirked.

"So the rumors are true, you can talk."

"Obviously, Ms. Dunham."

I couldn't help but laugh. "And I see Stark has installed his infamous sass! Lovely! Well, since this _must _be all up to date," I mocked a bit, "Then you should be able to show me what is going on outside this room."

"Yes, Ms. Dunham." A screen that melted in with the wall in front of me came on and on it appeared Loki.

"Thank you. I want it trained on Loki, but I don't want to hear anything they say."

"Yes, Ms. Dunham." The noise was muted.

"And Loki didn't disable the walls from opening?"

"No, Ms. Dunham. He only destroyed the controls on the outside, needed only in a power outage."

I laughed to myself. "Silly god." I shook my head before focusing back on the screen. "Now, JARVIS, I don't want to get out yet, so please don't open the doors until I say so."

"Yes, Ms. Dunham."

I rolled my eyes. At least Stark could have done is given a variety of responses for me to stay entertained.

"Please turn on the television and show me what's going on outside, JARVIS."

"Of course, Ms. Dunham."

I watched ashen at the events unfold before me.


End file.
